ring-snake ate three frogs, by which the
Ophiophagus was to derive chief benefit; he, all unconscious of the
cause of his victim's unusual plumpness, swallowed him speedily.

Soon after this Ophio doffed his winter coat entire, and having again
fasted for ten days, was at once rewarded by the last remaining
ring-snake in a similarly plethoric condition, namely, with three more
frogs inside him. Now and then during the winter months the scarcity
of ring-snakes has compelled the sacrifice of some far rarer colubers
to Ophio's cannibal tastes. And yet each year we hear of hundreds of
ring-snakes being ruthlessly killed in country districts, while at
great cost and trouble others are purchased or brought from the
Continent for the Hamadryad's sustenance. Lord Lilford, one of the
Ophidarium's best patrons, sometimes sends presents of game in the
shape of ring-snakes to the Hamadryad.

While watching this snake-eater over his dinner, one is struck with
the remarkable tenacity of life exhibited in the victim, or the slow
action of the venom if poisoned in the first grasp. The Ophiophagus
seizes it anywhere, that is, at whichever part happens to come first,
and then, after holding it quietly for a time, works his jaws up to
the head in the usual hand-over-hand, or "jaw-after-jaw" fashion,
invariably swallowing the snake head first. On one occasion when I
watched attentively, Ophio, having seized a ring-snake by the middle,
held it doggedly still for one quarter of an hour, while the lesser
snake did its very best to work its way out of the jaws, and also to
fetter its captor by twirling itself over his head and coiling round
his neck. This continued while Ophio, with his head and neck raised,
remained motionless, and after the quarter of an hour commenced to
work his jaws up towards the head of the ring snake, which, as more
and more of its own body was free for action, twirled itself about,
and at length coiled its tail round the bit of branch nailed into the
cage.

Persistently, like a sailor making his vessel fast to the windlass,
the ring snake lashed as much of himself as was free round the branch
a foot off, and so pulled and pulled till he looked in danger of
severing himself in two. Meanwhile Ophio, slowly but surely advancing,
caused its head and neck to disappear, grasping tightly with his
venomous jaws, as if he would say, "We'll see who is master." It was a
close tussle, so firmly did the little coluber retain hi