BLACK AND YELLOW SEA SNAKE. 159 
BLACK AND YELLOW SEA SNAKE. 
(Hydrus platurus.) 
The only species of Sea Snake which inhabits the ocean about 
the coasts of South Africa is the Black and Yellow species. It is 
often seen in the shallow pools amongst the rocks on the sea- 
shore, left stranded there by the out-going tide. It is very 
necessary that the general public should become acquainted with 
the appearance of this snake, as many fatalities have occurred 
Fic. 67.—The Black and Yellow Sea Snake (Hydrus platurus) which lives in the ocean, and is 
often left stranded in the rock pools along the South African Coast. It is highly venomous. 
(Royal Natural History.) 
by people mistaking it for an eel and catching hold of it. A 
naval officer was thus bitten recently, and lost his life. He died 
four hours after the bite. Another instance is recorded of a sailor 
being bitten and dying in two and a half hours after. A coloured 
man once brought me one in a tin containing sea water. He 
said he had caught it in a small pool on the beach. ° He foolishly 
pulled it out of the tin, remarking what a fine eel it was. Before 
