322 



VENOMS 



Sumichrast caused a fowl to be bitten in the wing by a young 

 individual, which had not taken any food for a long time. After 

 a few minutes the parts adjacent to the wound assumed a violet 

 hue ; the bird's feathers were rufHed ; a convulsive trembling 

 seized its entire body, and it soon sank to the ground. At the 

 end of about half an hour it lay stretched out as though dead, 

 and from its half-open beak there flowed a sanguinolent saliva. 

 There was no movement to give any sign of life, except that 

 from time to time a slight shiver passed through the hinder part 



Fig. 124. — Heloderma horridum. 



of its body. After two hours, life seemed gradually to return, 

 and the bird picked itself up and crouched on the ground, without, 

 however, standing upright, and still keeping its eyes closed. It 

 remained thus for nearly twelve hours, at the end of which time 

 it once more collapsed, and expired. 



A large cat which Sumichrast caused to be bitten in the hind 

 leg did not die, but immediately after being bitten the leg swelled 

 considerably, and for several hours the cat continued to mew in 



