Calcutta - Snake charmers

In this section of the film the Rev Down records the antics of street entertainers, including a brace of snake charmers.

One of them strips to a loin cloth and circles around the volunteer from the audience, then suddenly leaps forward and produces a snake from between the volunteer's legs. I have examined the original film, which runs at 16 frames per second. In one frame there are no snakes to be seen; in the next, a 16th of a second later, there are the snakes on the ground. The quickness of this guy's hands really does deceive the eye!

I am informed that the lady with the little girl in the film was only persuaded to take part by the assurance of the charmer that he would only produce a very small snake. Instead he produced two of the biggest snakes seen in any such show!