344 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE.

the snake-catcher descended the bank, dropped him into the
empty basket, and closed the lid, he then began to play, and
after a short time raising the lid of the basket, the snake darted
about wildly, and attempted to escape ; the lid was shut down
again quickly, the music always playing. This was repeated
two or three times ; and, in a very short interval, the lid being
again raised, the snake sat on his tail, opened his hood, and
danced quite as quietly as the tate snakes in the other basket,
nor did he again attempt to escape.”
The Cobra as gentleman in India once visited a neighbour-
Companion ing station for the purpose of taking part in a
ofthe Bath. cricket match, and was, hospitably entertained.
He was put up in a large tent, accompanied by his wife.
After the day’s play, at dusk, he went between the canvas walls
of the tent where his bath was ready. Touching the bath-tub,
were placed two large earthenware jars, full of cold water, and
next to them was a brass basin, also containing water, on a
stand ; the light was burhing in the centre of the tent so that
between the canvas walls was darkness. He stepped into the
tub, and finding the water too hot, bent down'to take up one
of the cold water jars, but something induced him instinctively
to refrain. He stayed his hand, at the same time calling out
to his wife to bring a light, which she did when, to his horror,
he saw a large cobra coiled round the mouth of the jar, within
a foot of his naked legs. The sensation can beimagined. To
move was probably death, to stand still required nerve. Ex-
perience and courage decided the point, and fixing his eye on
the reptile, he quietly told his wife to put down the light on
the ground and get him a stick. The wife, a sensible crea-
ture, obeyed, leaving her lord in the agonies of suspense as to
what the snake’s next move would be. This was soon settled
by the reptile uncoiling itself and gliding up the chillumchee
stand on to the basin, from which it commenced drinking.
By this time the stick was gently put into the bather’s hand,
who with a well-directed blow cut the snake in half against