41 



force your fingers off its neck. 



The skin of the Rat-snake is not worth 

 keeping unless it is a very large one, and the 

 snake is only worth hunting for the amusement 

 afforded. 



Most of the "hill" Rat-snakes have white 

 ventrals, while most of those found in the low 

 country have yellow ones. 



Water-snakes can be caught in the water- catching 

 courses adjoining paddyfields, but there is much water-snakes 

 likelihood of being bitten, as these snakes are very 

 quick in striking. When landed they will often 

 proceed along the ground by a series of leaps. 



Snakes may be either bottled in spirits, stuffed Bottling 

 or skinned. Bottling is somew^hat unsatisfactory, specimens 

 as the snake is liable to lose its colour, change its 

 shape sometimes, lose its scales, and even decom- 

 pose after the spirit has become weak, in addition 

 to which only small snakes can be preserved, 

 owing to the large amount of spirit required in 

 proportion to the size of the snake. Snakes should 

 not be bottled straight off, but be allowed to soak 

 m spirit before being finally placed in a bottle filled 

 with fresh spirit. Dr. Nicholson, in his book, 

 " Indian Snakes," recommends the following mix- 

 ture as a preservative : — Rum or arrack (20 to 30 

 under proof), and added to which either 4 per cent, 

 of carbolic acid or 2 per cent, of carbolic acid and 

 I per cent of arsenic. An objection to bottled 

 specimens is that they occupy a great deal of room 

 and are difficult to pack. 



Stuffing a snake is somewhat difficult, and can stuffing, 

 only be done satisfactorily to certain varieties ; 

 even then the head is liable to be mounted in 

 quite a different shape to what it was in when the 

 snake was alive. Stuffed specimens, like bottled 

 ones, take up a great deal of room, and should be 

 kept in glass cases in order to remain in good 



