THE PELAGIC OR SEA SNAKES. 239 



a man-of-war, when she was moored in the mouth of 

 the Ganges. The midshipman of the watch saw some- 

 thing moving along the chain, and without thinking 

 went to pick it up, when it turned upon him, and bit 

 him. The poor young midshipman did not live many 

 hours after the accident' {Land and Water ^ Nov. 15, 

 1879). 



In the same issue the writer described one which was 

 caught in the telegraph wire of the Eastern Extension 

 Telegraph Company. One of the cables was being raised, 

 and when it came to the surface, the snake was found 

 coiled tightly round it. HydropJiis was here exercising 

 his prehensile powers, not understanding the reason of the 

 violent motion. Snakes, as has been already affirmed, are 

 not restricted in their acrobatic achievements ; so that even 

 sea snakes, not naturally either climbers or crawlers, can do 

 both on an occasion. 



The more interesting question regarding Dr. Stradling's 

 cable climber is, was it a true Pelaniisy or one of the 

 Hydrophidce at all } If so, it was more likely to be an 

 entirely distinct species from those of the oriental seas, 

 liither Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope would be 

 far too southward for their range, they being essentially 

 tropical. When Panama comes to be severed by water 

 communication, some enterprising Pelaniis or EnJiydi'ina 

 may find its way through, and get down even to Santos ; 

 but at present, as Dr. Stradling did not see the snake, but 

 only heard of it, the evidence of the presence of ILydropJiidcB 

 on the eastern coast of South America cannot be fully 

 established. 



