14 OUR REPTILES. 



jungle path in the vicinity of Bintenne, when they 

 saw one of two Tamils, who were approaching them, 

 suddenly dart into the forest and return, holding in 

 both hands a cobra de capello, which he had seized 

 by the head and tail. He called to his companion 

 for assistance to place it in their covered basket; 

 but in doing this he handled it so inexpertly that it 

 seized him by the finger and retained its hold for a 

 few seconds, as if unable to retract its fangs. The 

 blood flowed, and intense pain appeared to follow 

 almost immediately ; but with all expedition the 

 friend of the sufferer undid his waistcloth, and took 

 from it two snake-stones, each of the size of a small 

 almond, intensely black and highly polished, though 

 of an extremely light substance. Then he applied 

 one to each wound inflicted by the teeth of the ser- 

 pent, to which the stones attached themselves closely, 

 the blood that oozed from the bites being rapidly 

 imbibed by the porous texture of the article applied. 

 The stones adhered tenaciously for three or four 

 minutes, the wounded man's companion in the mean- 

 time rubbing his arm downwards from the shoulder 

 towards the fingers. At length the snake-stones 

 dropped off of their own accord ; the suffering ap- 

 peared to have subsided ; he twisted his fingers till 

 the joints cracked, and went on his way without con- 

 cern." It would appear that Sir Emerson submitted 

 one of these snake-stones to Professor Faraday for 



