CROCODILES AND SNAKES 
273 
and so imagine, whenever they see a snake darting its tongue out of 
its mouth, that it must belong to one of the venomous kinds. This 
is a great mistake, however, for it is the fangs alone which are to be 
dreaded, and even if a man could be bitten by the teeth of a poisonous 
snake, and not by the fangs, the injury would be no greater than that 
caused by the bite of a serpent of a similar size which was not venom¬ 
ous at all. 
THE COBRA 
The Cobra.— One of the most deadly of all the poisonous snakes 
is the cobra di capello, or eye-glass snake, so called from the markings 
resembling spectacles on its neck. As is always the case with snakes 
of this class, its character may be at once known by the shape of the 
head, which is much widened owing to the presence of the poison 
glands upon either side. 
Non-poisonous snakes have to overcome their prey in a very 
different manner. They cannot give their victim one quick bite, and 
