384 
AMEEIOAIT AG-BICIJLTUEIST. [September, 
the beak. Holding the shell with the beak froin 
you, the end of the shell farthest from you is the 
forward end, and that nearest to you is the hind 
end, while the half shell at your left and right 
hand will be the left and right valves. If the live 
mussel be placed in a basin of water, after a while 
there will be projected from its forward end a 
whitish, fleshy body, a; this is the foot of the 
mussel, and by its aid the animal moves through 
the sand, making a strong mark or furrow. These 
marks are often seen in the sand, and the mussels 
may usually be found by following them. If all is 
perfectly quiet, the shells in the basin will open a 
little, and at the rear end will appear a little fringe, 
b, c, figure 1. If this is carefully watched you can 
see that this fringe surrounds two openings; by 
his knife and the shells may be readily opened. To 
open the mussel, these two muscles must be cut, 
“diamond stones.” 
Lennie J. Eowcll, Kaiis., sends me several small 
crystals ivhich he says, from their shape, are called 
“diamond stones.” They are flat plates, rhom- 
boidal in shape, and from the thirty-second of an 
inch to half an inch across. He properly notices 
that the stones “ are all of the same bevel,” and 
says : “Please explain these things.”—The crystals 
are of a dull flesh color, when held up to the light 
are partly transparent. By reflected light they have 
a ])early lustre. As to explaining these things, 
that is im[iossible. We can only accept them as a 
part of the great order of nature. Minerals when 
to be so in the countries named. We present 
herewith an engraving of the snake-charmers who 
are frequently seen in India. 
The snakes shown in the illustration are very 
different from any found in this country. The 
Portuguese gave to the species the name “Cobra 
de CapeUo,” a snake with a hood, or hooded-snakc. 
The creature, a native of the East Indies, is able to 
stretch out that portion of its body just below its 
head in the manner seen in the engraving ; it does 
this when attacked or excited in any way, and 
can raise itself to a more or less erect position, 
supporting its body by means of the tail. Its ap¬ 
pearance is then threatening, and it is not surpris¬ 
ing that the natives have a great fear of the ser¬ 
pent, especially when its bite is often fatal ? The 
A GROUP OF EAST INDIA SNAKE CHARMERS. 
Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
the motion of small particles in the water, it will 
be seen that a current is steadily passing in at the 
lower and out at the upper orifice. The current 
carries in animalcules and othei' kinds of food, and 
as it passes over the gills of the animal, supplies 
it with breath from the air dissolved in the w'ater. 
The animal itself is shown in figure 2, in which 
the right-hand valve or half-shell is removed. 
Within the shells, and lining them, is a thin mem¬ 
brane called the “mantle;” this is indicated by 
the lines running towards the lower edge of the 
shell and increases its size. The surface of this 
mantle next the shell provides the pearly substance 
that lines it. W'e sec here, the foot, and at 6, 
the fringe around the openings already described. 
The largest object within the shell, marked with 
strong cross lines, is the gills. The mouth is at o, 
a queer place for it, just above the foot. In this 
figure you have a better view of the ligament, ?, 
that hinges the two valves together. Tlic tendency 
of this is to open the shells. The animal holds 
them together by two strong muscles attached at 
a, a, and passing to the other shell. When these 
muscles are relaxed, the shells spring apart. In 
the oyster there is one such muscle, incorrectly 
called “ the eye.” The oystorman cuts this with 
pure have definite forms, a peculiarity stamped 
upon them by the Creator, and which allows each 
mineral to be recognized. The crystals sent are 
Felspar. A very common and important mineral, 
and one which presents a great many varieties. 
It forms a large part of the valuable granite rock. 
Snake-Charming. 
Showman and snake-charmer, James Reilly, be¬ 
came careless while exhibiting his three Diamond- 
back rattlesnakes at High Bridge, Upper New York, 
a few days since, and was stung by one of them. 
He died in the New York Hospital, repeated large 
doses of whiskey proving unavailing. Very fi'c- 
qucntly, from Pike County, and other portions of 
Pennsylvania, cures of rattlesnake bites by whiskey 
arc reported, and it is gener.ally supposed to have 
been regarded as an antidote for rattlesnake poison, 
when taken in time. The death of Reilly shows, 
however, that it cannot be relied upon. The com¬ 
mon treatment in Australia and India for the I'attlc- 
snake is the injection of ammonia into the veins of 
the arm. While we arc unable to assure our read¬ 
ers that this is an antidote and cure, it is believed 
snake is between three and four feet long; its 
general color is brownish-yellow. The hood has 
various markings of white and black; these aj c 
said to sometimes resemble spectacles, as seen in 
the central reptile in the picture. But what are 
the snakes doing in the baskets, and what have the 
men to do with them? The jugglers in India 
claim that they are able to charm the reptiles, and 
render them harmless, and snake-charming, as it is 
called, is a popular exhibition. The jugglers go in 
parties from place to place, carying the snakes in 
baskets. When they are charmed by the music, 
the reptiles are handled without attempting to bite. 
All this is veiy wonderful to those who do not 
know that the Cobras have had their ])oison fangs 
extr.acted. The many books of travel in India 
give accounts of these exhibitions of the snake 
charmers. Some writers state that the performers, 
by skill in handling the reptiles and agility in 
avoiding their attacks, escape injury. Others, on 
the other hand, assert that the jugglers admit 
that the fangs are removed. The serpents are 
trained to move in time with the music, and 
perform a sort of rude dance. The snake 
feeds upon frogs, toads, and other small ani¬ 
mals, and often enters houses in search of rats. 
