Page:The poisonous snakes of India. For the use of the officials and others residing in the Indian Empire (IA poisonoussnakeso01ewar).pdf/24

 10 NAJA,

aggressive; and less interfered with or irritated, they crawl along the ground with the neck undilated, looking not unlike innocent snakes; but the moment they are disturbed, they assume the menacing attitudo I have described.

"The Naja Tripudians (the only species), or Cobra, grows to the length of five feet and a half, or even more. On one occasion I received a living female cobra from Nagporc, C.P., sent by Dr. W. B. Beatson. It was of the variety called 'Kurrecs Gokurah,' of a light chocolate colour, without any mark on the hood. It was five feet eight inches long, including the tail, which measwed eleven and a quarter inches. In girth it was six and a quarter inches. it was very powerful and fierce, and Dr. Beatson told me that it killed a fowl in one minute.

“This was the largest cobra I have seen, but I believe they attain even a greater size than this. The cobra is found all over Hindostan up to eight thousand feet high in the Himalaya ; but Mr. Hodgson says he has never seen it in the Nepaul valley.* It is equally dreaded and fatal everywhere. The varieties are numerous, and they are distinguished by the markings on the hood, and by various shades of colour, from the darkest olive or black, with a purple iridescence, to a pale chocolate, fawil, or yellow colour. They are all, notwithstanding their differences of colour or marking, considered by naturalists to be but varieties of one species. They have various names in different parts of India, and are regarded by the snake-catchers as different specics, and as having different powers of destruction. Such differences most likely depend on age, vigour, or other circumstances, as naturally the intensity of the poison of the different varieties is probably about equal.

“The cobra is a nocturnal snake-that is, it is most active in the night; but it is often seen moving about in the day. It is oviparous; the egys, froin eighteen to twenty-five in number, are obovate, and about the size of those of a pigeon; the shell is white, but tough and leathery. The cobras feed on small animals, birds' eggs, frogs, fish, or insects; they rob ben-roosts, and swallow the eggs whole; they prefer taking their food at dusk or in the night. They are said to drink a great deal of water; but it is certain that they will live weeks, even months, in captivity, without touching food or water. They go into Fayrer has seen it in the Oude Terni.