they really are entitled to. They throw an air of mystery over their operations, which has led many to give them no credit at all. Mr. Johnson, for example, in his sketches of "India Field Sports," says, "The professed snakecatchers in India, are a low caste of Hindoos, wonderfully clever in catching Snakes, as well as in practising the art of legerdemain: they pretend to draw them from their holes by a song, and by an instrument somewhat resembling an Irish bagpipe, on which they play a plaintive tune. The truth is, this is all done to deceive. If ever a Snake comes out of a hole at the sound of their music, you may be certain that it is a tame one, trained to it, deprived of its venomous teeth, and put there for the purpose; and this you may prove, as I have often done, by killing the Snake, and examining it, by which you will exasperate the man exceedingly."

That the snake-charmers may often act thus, no one will doubt, but it is no proof that they have not the power of drawing wild Snakes from their retreats. Mr. Forbes, in his Oriental Memoirs," appears disposed to grant that they have the power in question, through the influence of music: and Dr. Shaw states, that a belief in the influence of songs, muttered incantations, and sentences written on scrolls, upon venomous Snakes, prevailed in Barbary wherever he travelled. That these men break the venom teeth out, by way of precaution, is admitted; but yet accidents often arise, for in a little time these teeth are renewed. Mr. Johnson states, that a man exhibited a tame dancing Cobra before a large party. "A boy, about sixteen years old, was teazing the animal to make it bite him, which it actually did, and to some purpose, for in an hour afterwards he died of the bite. The father of the boy was astonished, and protested it could not be from the bite, that the Snake had no venomous teeth, and that he and the boy had often been bitten by it before, without any bad effect. On examining the Snake, it was found that the former fangs were replaced by new ones, then not far out of the jaw,

but sufficient to bite the boy. The old man said he never saw or heard of such a circumstance before."

With regard, however, to the power of music on the Cobra, the following original communication in the "Penny Magazine" is very conclusive. The writer assures us, that he received the narrative from a gentleman of high station in the Hon. East India Company's civil service, at Madras, a man of undoubted veracity. It is as follows:

-"One morning, as I sat at breakfast, I heard a loud noise and shouting amongst my palankeen bearers. On inquiry, I found that they had seen a large hooded Snake, (Cobra da Capello,) and were trying to kill it. I immediately went out, and saw the Snake climbing up a very high green mound, whence it escaped into an old wall of an ancient fortification. The men were armed with their sticks, which they always carry in their hands, and had attempted in vain to kill the Reptile, which had eluded their pursuit: in its hole it had coiled itself up secure, whilst we could see its bright eyes shining. I had often desired to ascertain the truth of the report, as to the effect of music upon the Snakes, I therefore inquired for a snake-catcher. I was told there was no person of the kind in the village; but after a little inquiry, I heard there was one in a village distant three miles. I accordingly sent for him, keeping strict watch over the Snake, which never attempted to escape, whilst we, its enemies, were in sight. About an hour elapsed, when my messenger returned, bringing a snake-catcher. This man wore no covering on his head, nor any on his person, excepting a small piece of cloth round his loins. He had in his hands two baskets, one containing tame Snakes; one empty. These, and his musical pipe, were the only things he had with him: I made the snakecatcher leave his two baskets on the ground at some distance, while he ascended the mound with his pipe alone. He began to play; at the sound of music, the Snake came gradually and slowly out of its hole. When it was entirely within reach, the snake-catcher seized

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it dexterously by the tail, and held it thus at arm's length; whilst the Snake, enraged, darted its head in all directions, but in vain: thus suspended, it has not the power to round itself, so as to seize hold of its tormentor. "It exhausted itself in vain exertions, when the snake-catcher descended the bank, dropped it into the empty basket, and closed the lid. He then began to play, and after a short time, raised 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 raised, the Snake sat on its tail, opened its hood, and danced as quietly as the tame Snakes in the other basket, nor did it again attempt an escape. This, having witnessed with my own eyes, I can assert as a fact."* (See engraving.)

From the earliest ages, snake-charmers have existed in the east; they were believed to possess some secret magical influence over these Reptiles, to be capable of controlling them by charms, or incantations, and even to cure persons who had unfortunately been subjected to their bite.

Among the most celebrated, were the Psylli, a people of Cyrenaïca, (a region in Africa abounding in Reptiles,) who were reported to possess a natural and inherent power over Snakes, which Pliny supposed to be dependent on some peculiar odour in their persons, which these animals abhorred. Lucan, in his " Pharsalia," describes the method adopted by these snake-charmers of preventing the Roman camp from becoming infested with them. They marched around it, chanting mystic sounds; but in addition to these incantations, as night drew on, they kept up fires around the encampment. By

* Mr. Schomberg states, in reference to a lizard (Anolius bullaris) common in the West Indies, that "they are often caught by boys, who take advantage of their fondness for musical sounds, arresting their attention, and then throwing a little noose over their head," as they perch in a listening attitude on the branches of the trees. See Linn. Trans., vol. xvii. p. 560.