5d THE ARCTURUS ADVENTURE 



in hundreds. They were brilhant m color, oHve 

 green above, with many, broad, yellow cross bands, 

 about as protectively colored as yellow daisy 

 blossoms in a green field. 



I knew they were also found in the eastern 

 Pacific but had not seen them here before, and I 

 keenly wished to capture this one. Two of 

 our small boats which were overside, were too far 

 away to understand our frantic signals, so, handi- 

 capped by the thermometer line being out, all we 

 could do was to hope that the reptile would drift 

 down on the ship. Luck was with us, for while 

 we watched breathlessly, our first sea snake 

 writhed so close under the boom-walk that we were 

 able to scoop it up with a long-handled net. Be- 

 fore the net closed over it, it seemed to be biting 

 at a part of the body where I could see a small 

 white spot. 



I seized it back of the head and dropped it into 

 an aquarium, taking considerable care in the pro- 

 cess as these are as poisonous as any of the veno- 

 mous terrestrial species. It did not struggle much 

 or seem to have the strength which a snake of its 

 size — almost three feet long — should have. From 

 the water of the tank it lifted only the head and 

 neck, and showed no interest in its new environ- 

 ment. This lethargy was doubtless due to two 

 severe bites which it had received from some foe. 

 At one of these it had itself been striking, prob- 

 ably in unreasoning irritation at the pain. It had 

 several patches of good-sized barnacles along the 

 body, and some small ones even on the crown and 



