CROCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 1123 



Dr. Eiiiar LaMinberu- writes of this species as be observed it in Florida 

 as follows: ' 



This is the only species of Elaps I have found in sontli Florithi, where it is latlier 

 coniuiou. It is known under several names, as ''coral snake," "Arnericau cobra,'' 

 "garter snake," and "candy stick." It is perhaps the most dangerous snake in 

 Florida, because it is not so much dreaded as the big rattlesnake or moccasin, though 

 being quite as poisonous. As the last mentioned names show, it is regarded as a 

 "pretty little snake.'' I'ew })eople know or believe that it is poisonous, it looks so 

 harmless, andasatonseiiuencethey catch it and handle it rather roughly; the snake 

 gets angry, bites, and a human life is endangered. I know personally of such a case. 

 A Swede at Oakland, Orange County, found an Elaps, and because of its beautiful 

 color he caught it and tried to put it into a bottle of alcohol. The snake bit him, 

 but the wound was not large, and as it did not swell he did not care much about it 

 at first. After a while he was taken very sick, went to bed, asked for a physician, 

 and drank whisky; but it was then too late. He died the next morning, abont 

 twelve hours after the snake had bitten him. During the last hours he was uncon- 

 .scious, but before that he suffered most excruciating pains. I have heard of several 

 other cases of boys dying from an Elaps bite. 



In other cases people have been bitten by an Elaps fitlrinx without suffering from 

 it in any way, but I suppose that in such cases the Elaps had not been able to inject 

 any poison into the wound, as it has a rather small month. However that may be, 

 I can not agree with Cope that the bite "of the smaller ones (meaning smaller spe- 

 cies of Elaps) is innocuous to man and the larger animals." It is to be observed that 

 the Elaps bites differentiy from the Crotalids and Viperids. The latter snake throws 

 its head forward in striking, and draws it back again immediately. The Elaps 

 fnlrius I have seen and heard about have acted in an entirely different manner. The 

 poor Swede above mentioned had to pull the snake from the wound, and other speci- 

 mens that I had induced to bite into sticks kept the stick in. the mouth for a good 

 while. This habit probably signifies an intention to jiress as much poison as possi- 

 ble into the wound, whicli makes the snake the more dangerous. Elapx fiilriun is, 

 however, a good-natured snake, and it does not l)ite unless it is very much provoked. 

 If not handled too roughly, an Elaps may be allowed to crawl on one's hands from 

 one to the other. I have allowed it myself once, but I hardly think I would do it 

 over again, and would not advise anybody else to try it. 



I have found Elapx ftilvius under logs, and digging in the ground as well as crawl- 

 ing about on the surface, but I think it prefers dry land. 



The largest specimen I have seen was from Oakland, Orange County, and meas- 

 ured exactly 1 m. from the tip of the nose to the anus, and the tail was 90 mm. This 

 big specimen had fourteen black rings on the body and three on the tail. Other 

 specimens have but twelve black rings on the body and three on the tail, but one of 

 these has four on the tail. The yellow rings cover fro7u one to two rows of scales. 



ELAPS DISTANS Kennicott. 



Elapti distans Kknnk orr, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sei. Phila.. ISfiO. ]>. .S.SS. — Coim;, Check- 

 list N. Amer. Hatr. Rei)t.. 1875. p. 34. 



Body sleiuUn", witli very narrow black riiiiis. lour or five scales in 

 width, separated by intervals, three or four tinu's as wide, of browui.s'j 

 or reddish, entirely unspotted. No light riii^s scparatiug tiie red and 

 black ones. rTi)per lip and jaw wholly without black, and the tip of 

 nose light. 



Body very slender; tail one-seventh the length (seven and one-third 



Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., X\"II, lSil-1. p. 334. 



