feebleness, frequently shuts his eyes, and never turns his mouth towards the arm of the person who holds him.

THIS most poisonous of Serpents, derives its Portuguese name of Cobra de Capello, or Hooded Snake, from a custom which it has when irritated, of swelling out the skin of its neck, and drawing in its head, so as to produce, in some degree, a resemblance to a hood

It is

from three to eight feet long, with two large fangs hanging out of the upper jaw. It has also a mark of dark brown on the forchead, which, when viewed frontwise, looks like a pair of spectacles: it is also known by the appellation of the Spectacle Snake. The eyes are fierce and full of fire, and the bite so deadly, that it is said to be incurable, the patient dying in about an hour after the wound; the whole frame heing dissolved into one putrid mass of corruption.

The Hooded Snake is a native of India, where it is much dreaded for the malignity of its poison. The Indians who travel in the woods with naked feet, are justly afraid of it, as it springs upon them with great agility, and its hite, we have already remarked, produces inevitable.

death, unless the proper remedies are instantly made use of. Nevertheless, the Indian jugglers contrive to tame them, among other serpents, which they exhibit to the people. On these occasions, the showman holds a particular root in his hand, which, he pretends, has the power of insuring him against its venomous bite.Taking the serpent from a close vessel, in which it is ordinarily kept confined, he enrages it by threatening it with a stick, or his fist. The serpent immediately erects itself upon its tail, in a posture of defence, blows up its neck, opens its dreadful mouth with a hissing noise, thrusting out its forked tongue, and, (moving itself with great vivacity, while its eyes glance like fire) begins a kind of combat with its master, who continues to threaten it with his fists, which he moves continually, and briskly, up and down, and from side to side, singing all the while.. The terrified, or enraged animal, keeping its eyes constantly fixed on the hand which threatens it, follows every motion, balancing its head and body on its tail, always fixed in the same spot, and thus gives the appearance of a kind of dance. The reptile can continue this kind of exercise for about seven minutes, but whenever the juggler perceives that his serpent grows wearied, and is about to fly from the combat, he ceases his song, and removes the threatening hand. The snake now ceases its seeming dance, and extends itself on the ground, when the master seizes it by the neck, and replaces it in his box or jar.

Shaw informs us, that he was assured of there being forty thousand persons in Cairo and its surrounding villages, who lived on lizards and serpents without other food; from which circumstance, they have the distinguished honour of walking next in procession to some rich banners, embroidered in black silk, which are, on a particular day in the year, taken from the castle of Cairo, and carried through the streets with great pomp.

From the observations of a traveller who resided a long time in India, we have the following account of the method which these show. men use, to train up their serpents to the dance. When an Indian has procured a Hooded Snake for this purpose, he turns it out of the jar in which it is kept, and prevents its escape with a stick, which he uses to provoke it to fight, holding the stick in one hand, and the empty jar in the other. Whenever the snake attempts to bite, it is presented with the jar, against which it hurts its nose, and is, obliged to start back. This exercise is continued, till the animal, always foiled in its attack, and hurt against the jar, every turn it attempts to bite, is obliged to give up the unequal combat; but constantly. keeps its eyes fixed on the hard body which is presented to it, and follows every motion. Thus, by repeated lessons, the serpent is at length trained to the task; and as it no longer attempts to bite, the showman ventures to threaten it with

his hand, and always accompanies this exercise with a kind of music, from whence it has been named a dance.

We are also told, that not only these snakes are carried about, in the manner above mentioned, but also serpents of larger dimensions : indeed the jugglers are frequently observed to carry a large snake in a basket, which uncoiled itself at the command of its master, and was conveyed round to the spectators on the shoulders of men.

This, then, sufficiently explains the influence which the showmen appear to exercise over the Hooded Snakes. As in other fierce animals, it is produced by education-but it still remains a matter of wonder, to what we are to ascribe the power which music has, upon even those who have never been taught to fear a master. It is a well known fact, that when a house is infested with those snakes, musicians are sent for, who, by playing a low and monotonous kind of tune upon their flute, draw the animals from their hiding places, and destroy them; for no sooner do they hear the music, than they glide softly from their retreats, and are easily taken.

Nothing can afford a stronger proof of this fact, than the following circumstance, which is stated, upon respectable authority, to have occurred at the house of a gentleman, for a long time resident in India.