Hurter — Herpetology of Missouri. 201 



than usual, and while trying to extricate it the teeth bit 

 him. ' ' 



Another case reported by Dr. Stejneger is the follow- 

 ing: — The victim was Mr. Zeno Shindler, an employee of 

 the U. S. National Museum, and the offender a medium- 

 sized Elaps f'ldvius, received from Mr. James Bell, of 

 Gainesville, Fla. 



'*0n June first, 1882, between two and three o'clock in 

 the afternoon, preparatory to making the color sketch 

 from the live snake which should serve for a guide in 

 painting the plaster cast to be made from it, Mr. Shindler 

 attempted to transfer the snake from the terrarium to a 

 glass jar, holding it tightly by the neck. At the moment 

 he let go, the snake's tail touched the bottom of the jar, 

 and before he had time to remove his hand the snake 

 fastened its fangs in his left index finger. The snake did 

 not strike like the rattlesnake, but hit hard, closing the 

 lower jaw upon the finger, and held on so firmly that it 

 had to be wrenched off, by which operation one of the 

 fangs was broken off in the wound. 



' '■ The first symptoms, which appeared immediately after 

 the bite, according to Mr. True, consisted of violent pain 

 at the wound. The symptoms continued without material 

 change to 4:30 p. m. At that hour the first symptoms of 

 drowsiness or unconsciousness made their appearance, 

 and remained until the morning of the third day. 



"At 7:30 p. m. on the day of the bite Mr. Shindler felt 

 so ill that he deemed it prudent to call upon his physician. 

 Dr. L. M. Taylor, of Washington, whose treatment is 

 given in full in Mr. True's report. 



"In three days after treatment the patient felt in good 

 health again. About two months after the event, how- 

 ever, pain set in once more at the bitten finger, extending 

 to the knuckles; and after a few days an ulcer made its 

 appearance above the latter. 



"Mr. Schindler tells me that every summer a few days 

 before June 2, the day he was bitten, the wounded finger 



