Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IV.djvu/788

 772 COBRA DE CAPELLO ishing upward and downward from the mid- dle of this space. This power of dilatation is possessed by many other serpents to a less de- gree. The two white spots with a black centre, united in front by a curved line, are rarely so distinct as to resemble spectacles, being gen- erally irregular black marks which the imagina- tion could transform into a great variety of sem- blances ; they are most distinct when the hood is dilated, and are probably due to the ar- rangement of the scales consequent on the forced raising of the ribs. Two spots are some- times seen on the lower surface of the neck. These colorations are not sexual differences, as they occur both in males and females. The general color of this serpent is a brownish yellow, of various degrees of brightness ; the young often have the body with black bands and white spots. The total length is from 3 to 4 ft., and the thickness a little more than an inch ; the tail is short, robust, and conical ; the trunk is cylindrical and strong, as indicated by the agility of its movements. When attacked it raises itself boldly, supporting the trunk on the tail placed horizontally on the ground ; then, with body bent, dilated neck, and threatening head, it presents quite a formidable appearance. It devours toads, frogs, birds, small animals, and also other snakes. In confinement they often utter a peculiar cry, described by a traveller, in whose apartment one of these snakes was catching rats at night, as a " strident sound, the attempted imitation of which resembled the acute staccato note of a treble hautboy." This species is found throughout the East Indies, and on many of the islands of the Indian archipelago, varying somewhat in color ac- cording to locality ; it is nocturnal in its habits, and very frequently enters houses in search of its prey. The specific name tripudians (danc- ing) given to it by Merrem indicates a frequent use made of it by the Indian jugglers, to the great surprise of the uninitiated ; the poison fangs are first extracted, so that their bite is quite harmless, though the exhibitors pretend to employ powerful antidotes ; the serpents are trained to execute certain movements cor- responding to the motions of the jugglers, keep- ing time to the musical accompaniment, and re- sembling a rude dance. The poison of the cobra, though less virulent than that of the rattle- snake, is exceedingly dangerous ; from the ex- periments of Dr. Russell, in his work on the ser- pents of India, it appears that its poison proves fatal to a dog in less than 27 minutes, and to a chicken in less than half a minute ; inserted by incision or inoculation, it is equally danger- ous. Unless remedies are speedily applied, the bite of the cobra is generally fatal to man. According to Dr. Davy, its poison has an acrid taste, paralyzes the iris of fowls when applied to their eyes, and is soon exhausted by biting ; it produces fainting, coldness, convulsions, and death, the lungs being generally found gorged with blood and serum. After the mechanical means of removing the poison have been tried, COBURG such as ligatures above the wound to prevent the return of venous blood, sucking the bitten part, excision, cauterization, or the application of cupping glasses, the constitutional remedies are, in the first place, diffusive stimulants, to support the prostrated nervous energy which invariably accompanies such bites; such are ammonia alone, or, as eau de luce, in com- bination with tincture of oil of amber, or even simple alcoholic stimulants in large and repeat- ed doses, which have been found to prevent the fatal effects of the more virulent poison of the rattlesnake. The favorite remedy in the East Indies is arsenic, either in the famous Tanjore pills, each of which contains about one grain of arsenic, or in Fowler's solution, which contains the arsenite of potash ; ex- perience has shown the efficacy of the pills in some cases reported by Dr. Russell, where no other remedy was employed, and they might prove as beneficial in the bites of other ven- omous serpents. This cobra has received a number of native names, one of the most com- mon of which is goomna. Several interesting experiments with the poison of the living cobra, some made in Boston in 1871, are given in the " Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History," vol. xiv. Such is the rapidity with which the poison is introduced into the blood that antidotes are rarely of any avail, though the fatal result may not occur for several hours. The cobra avoids using its fangs as much as possible except when securing its food, and rarely if ever bites unless trodden upon. The idea that the poison of the cobra has no effect upon the mongoose, or that the latter if bitten finds an antidote in certain plants, is entirely erroneous ; the mongoose, if bitten, dies as soon as any other animal ; the fact is that this agile creature avoids the bite of the sluggish reptile, and always seizes it by the back of the head, destroying it instantly. The cobra exhibited in Boston had eaten noth- ing for seven months, and yet seemed in good condition. The N. ha/je (Linn.), found in Egypt and also in southern Africa, has some- times been erroneously called cobra de capello, which might lead to the supposition that the true serpent of this name extended its area of distribution into Africa. (See ASP.) COBPRG. I. A duchy of Germany, forming with Gotha the united duchy of Saxe-Coburg- Gotha, one of the states of the empire ; area of Coburg alone, 218 sq. m. ; pop. in 1871, 51,709. (See SAXE-COBCBG-GOTHA.) II. The capital of the duchy, and alternately with Gotha the residence of the duke and seat of government of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, situated on the Itz, 185 m. S. S. W. of Berlin ; pop. in 1871, 12,819. The streets are generally narrow, but there are some pleasant public walks. There are five Protestant churches and a Roman Catholic chapel, a gymnasium, an orphan asylum, an institution for the deaf and dumb, three hospitals, and a public library of 26,000 volumes. The Ehrenburg palace, one