96 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIIST. SOCILTl, Vol. XXFI. 



Poison. — I know of no records in the human subject of a bite, 

 but the venom has been experimented with in the laboratory hj 

 Fraser and Elliot. 



Quality. — The poison from Madras specimens svibmitted to these 

 experts was described as consisting of thin scales of a very pale 

 yellow colour. 



Quantity. — Dr. Pinto who collected the poison found the average 

 yield from eight fresh specimens represented -00275 grammes 

 when dried. 



Toxins. — Fraser and Elliot found the effects of the poison on 

 lower animals almost exactly that produced by cobra venom, except 

 that the respiratory embarrassment in curtus poisoning was much 

 more pronounced. The action is practically identical with that ot 

 Enhydrina venom. As this is dealt with fully in the 28th and 

 last paper of this series the reader is referred to that article for par- 

 ticulars of the composition and action, of this poison, symptoms 

 and treatment. Death is caused by a paralysis of the respirator}^ 

 centre in the brain as in the toxaemias of other colubrine snakes. 



Lethal dose. — ^The minimal lethal dose for rats is '0006 grammes 

 per kilogramme weight of the rodent. As the lethal dose of 

 Enhyd/rina venom for rats was found to be -00009 grammes, the 

 toxicity of this is about seven times greater than that of curtus. 



BistriJiution. — From the Persian Gulf to the Malayan Archipe- 

 lago. I found it very common on the Malabar Coast about Canna- 

 nore, where it is only second to Enhydrina valaJiodyn in its numerical 

 strength. On the Coromandel Coast at Madras a collection of 192 

 sea-snakes furnished me with 84 specimens as compared with GO 

 Enhydrinas. 



Lepidosis, f Rostral. — Touches 4 shields, the portion visible above 

 one-third or less than one-third the length of the suture between 

 the nasals. Xasals. — Touch the 1st and 2nd supralabials ; the 

 suture from the nostril passes to the 2nd (rarely 1st) supralabial. 



Pro'fontals. — Touch the 2nd supralabial. h'lontal. — Entire. 



Parietals. — Disintegrate, usually into three parts. Prceocular. — - 

 One. Postocular. — One or two. Tomjwrals. — Scale-like, two or three 

 superposed scales anteriorly. SupralaJnals. — 7 usually (sometimes 

 8) ; the 3rd and 4th normally touch the eye (rarely the 4th only or 

 the 3rd, 4th and 5th). Lifralahials. — 4; the 4th largest, and in 

 contact Avith three or four scales behind. Marginals. — A complete 

 row after the 2nd infralabial. Sublinguals. — Poorly developed. 

 Often so small as hardlj^ to deserve the name ; lioth fellows separa- 

 ted by scales. Gostals.- — Two headslengths behind the head 29 to 

 30 ; midbody 30 to 45 ; two headslengths before the anus 31 to 32 ; 

 tuberculate, juxtaposed everywhere; the lowest 3 or 4 rows enlarged 

 and in old males often with spinose tubercles. Ventrals. — 1 5 1 to 21 9 ; 

 entire anteriorly, divided posteriorly. Each part in old males with 



