Snake Charming

In India and África the charmers pretend the snakes dance to the rnusic, but they do not, for they never hear it. A snake has no external ears, and perhaps g-ets evidence of sound only through his skin, whcn sound causes bodies in contact with him to vibrate. They hear also through the nerves of the tongue, but do not at all compreheDd sound as we do. Dut the snake's eyes are very much alive to the motions of the charmer, or to the moving drumsticks of his confedérate, and, being alanned, he prepares to strike. A dancing cobra (and no other snakes dance) is simply a cobra alarmed and in a posture of attack. He is not dancing to the music, but is making ready to strike the charmer.