File:Animals in action; studies and stories of beasts, birds and reptiles; their habits, their homes and their peculiarities (1901) (14568758980).jpg

Identifier: animalsinactions00broo (find matches)
Title: Animals in action; studies and stories of beasts, birds and reptiles; their habits, their homes and their peculiarities
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Brooks, Elbridge S. (Elbridge Streeter), 1846-1902
Subjects:
Publisher: Boston, Lothrop pub. co
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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u-mon, which is especially thick about the tail, is a light reddishbrown, flecked with yellow which gives a golden sheen to the pelt.The mongoos is easily domesticated, is capable of great attach-ment for its master, and follows him about like a dog. It is agood-natured, and almost painfully tidy and cleanly animal. Itclears a dwelling of rats and mice in the shortest time, rangingthrough all hiding places, holes, and cracks until all the littlepests have been killed or driven away. The mongoos performs astill greater service to mankind by its fearless pursuit of thevenomous snakes of India, among which the cobra is the mostdangerous. The bite of the cobra is invariably fatal, and thou-sands of human beings perish from it yearly. Although thecobra reaches a length of over five feet, the mongoos rushesupon it without hesitation and generally succeeds in conqueringhis enemy. When he discovers a cobra he approaches it steadily,his little eyes constantly fastened upon the dangerous animaL
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Mongoose (Rikki-Tikki-Tavi) attacking a Cobra. MONGOOS AND COBRA DE CAPELLO. 261 As a rule the cautious cobra spies the approaching enemy intime, and immediately erects the upper part of its body, distendsits disklike neck, and, with a loud hissing noise, turns toward thelittle hero with wide-open mouth, bristling with venomous teeth. The mongoos approaches slowly, watching every movement ofthe snake with unwavering intenseness. Immovable as a statuein front, and straining every muscle behind, the cobra glidestoward the disturber of its peace. Suddenly the mongoos jumpsskilfully upon his enemy, so as to avoid the yawning jaws, catchesthe snake by the neck, and bites the spine in two with his sharpteeth before the cobra can find an opportunity to use its fatalteeth. The bite of the cobra is as likely to prove fatal to themongoos as to any other warm-blooded animal. The Hindoosbelieve that a bitten mongoos makes straight for a certain root,by the application of which it becomes immune a

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