EXPERIMENTAL VENOM POISONING IN ANIMALS 121 



toms in dog are mentioned by Fayrer and are well represented in the follow- 

 ing example: Distira cyanocincta, 4 feet long, bit a pariah dog twice on the 

 thigh; 40 minutes later the dog was restive, salivated, burrowing its muzzle 

 in the sand. At 45 minutes it was seated, body thrown forward, head down, 

 partially convulsed, sahvation increasing; at 50 minutes spasms appeared, 

 with defecation; 55 minutes, involuntary evacuations, respiration slow, tongue 

 hanging out of the mouth, salivation very profuse; an hour after the bite 

 death ensued. 



The bite of Distira ornata was seen to be fatal when the snake closed its 

 jaws, with much difficulty, on the comb of a fowl; the symptoms being chiefly 

 of paralytic nature. Fayrer failed to make Distira jerdoni inflict any wound 

 on dogs, the fangs being too small for the skin. 



HYDROPHIS. 



Fayrer experimented with a few species of this genus. Thus Hydrophis 

 nigrocincta kiUed a fowl in 15 minutes, while H. chloris, which is probably the 

 same as H.fasciatus, caused death after a considerable interval in fowls on 

 which it was forcibly made to close its jaws. The fangs are very minute. 

 On the other hand, Fayrer records one experiment in which the minute fangs 

 of H. gracilis could not penetrate the skin of a dog. 



ENHYDRINA. 



The bite of Enhydrina valakadien s. bengalensis is fatal when it is induced 

 to bite voluntarily or made to close its jaws on a dog or fowl. Death occurs, 

 however, much slower than in cases of the bite of elapine snakes, which is 

 easily accounted for by the minuteness of the fangs and the torpid and obsti- 

 nate nature of the sea-snakes. 



HYDRUS. 



Hydrus platurus (another name of Pelamis hicolor), when quite active is 

 able to inflict a fatal bite on a fowl. No other animals have been tested as to 

 the effects of its bite. The symptoms consist of a series of paralytic reactions. 

 The blood was fluid in one case in a fowl which died about 6 hours after the 

 bite. 



