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MISCELLANEOUS EXPERIMENTS 
SECTION VIII. 
Miscellaneous Experiments and Remarks on Serpents. 
I . May 12.-A mangoose (caught only two days before) being brought to me, I determined to try him 
with a Katuka Rekula Poda, which had been long captive, but was in good spirits, and had not been disturbed 
for eight days. The mangoose being very wild, was secured by a long string, in such a manner as to prevent 
his escape, without impeding his activity. 
The snake, when set at liberty in the room, hissed as usual at first, but soon coiled himself, with his head 
couched in the centre. The mangoose, when set down in sight of the snake, seemed more disposed to make 
his escape than to make an attack ; and when forced to approach near, the snake hissed, but neither offered to 
raise his head, nor to move from the place. 
After several attempts to bring them to an engagement, which both seemed to decline, the mangoose, hap¬ 
pening unintentionally to be forced too near, was bitten by the snake on the shoulder; upon which he seized 
the snake by the neck, and held fast for fifteen seconds, the snake all the while wreathing round the man- 
goose's limbs. 
The instant they were separated, the mangoose fell down on his side, as if dead : in which state he was 
carried out of doors, and laid on a grass plat surrounded by a hedge. Breathing was the sole sign of life for 
near a quarter of an hour, when, being touched by the hand, he unexpectedly started up, and run a few paces 
towards the hedge, but lay down before he reached it, and the fore leg was visibly affected. The string being 
first lengthened to allow of a wider range, he was left to himself. 
At the end of half an hour, he appeared much revived ; but remained lying on one side, without moving from 
his place, except when touched by the hand. After one hour and a half, he appeared so much better, that I 
entertained strong hopes of his recovery. He did not now lie on his side, he only couched ; and, though still 
lame, he moved much more briskly, when touched. Soon after this, the torpor returned, he again reclined on 
one side, and, without visible convulsions, expired in two hours and a quarter after the bite. 
The snake's wound bled a good deal; he appeared much duller than before, though he still hissed when 
touched. In one hour and a half, he appeared to be dying, and could not be provoked to hiss. He lingered, 
however, eight hours before he expired ; retaining life, in appearance, in the tail only, for several hours before 
death. 
II. May 31.-A Katuka Rekula Poda was set at liberty on a wide green field, and a mangoose in a cage, 
where he had been kept a week, was placed at a little distance. The snake moved slowly along, not faster than 
usual when in a room, and made towards the cage, as if in search of refuge ; from whence turning offj he came 
back to the place he had set out from, and coiled himself up. 
The door of the cage being now opened, the mangoose made no offer to come forth ; and when forced out, he 
at first looked steadily at the snake, and then run away towards a hedge at some distance. Being secured by a 
long string, he was soon brought again close to the enemy : but he showed much less disposition to attack than 
to retreat either to the cage or the hedge. 
At length he seemed to set the snake, and of himself approached very near; but on the snake raising his head 
and hissing furiously, he again fled towards the hedge. He was several times forced back, and as often fled in 
the same manner ; till at last seizing the snake as the head was raised, he bit it severely in the mouth, without 
being himself visibly hurt. As soon as they were separated, the mangoose run off; and, after running about 
on the green, was permitted to retreat into the hedge. 
He was preserved with a view of trying him with a Cobra de Capello; but this was prevented by my 
snakeman happening unluckily to be disabled by an accident. (See Sect. VII. Case IX.) 
III. - 1 was informed by Mr. James Bourchier, that he had more than once made trial of the combat 
