1895-96-] Recent Researches on Snake Poison. 203 



venom, freely diluted in water, remains poisonous. Viper 

 venom, if much diluted, becomes quite innocuous. 



As is well known, after death from cobra bite the blood is 

 usually dark and coagulable. After death from viper bite it 

 is brick- red and incoagulable. 



As already said, the cobra is the most common and most 

 widely spread snake in the world, found all over the tropics 

 of Asia and Africa. It owes its success in life to its poison 

 fangs and its conspicuous hood. The poison fang alone would 

 have done it little good, for snakes are preyed on by eagles, pea- 

 cocks, and ichneumons ; and it would not benefit this particular 

 snake that it had a poison tooth, unless it had some means of 

 impressing this fact on its enemies. This is done by the con- 

 spicuous hood and the spectacle marks. In the course of ages 

 eagles, peacocks, and ichneumons have learned not to touch 

 cobras, but to make their dinners off less formidable snakes. 



Vipers have a poison more deadly than that of the cobra, 

 but they have no means of proving this at a glance to their 

 enemies. .Eagles kill them, taking them for harmless snakes. 

 Hence cobras are numerous, while vipers are comparatively 

 few. The one is a success, the other a failure. 



The cobra is a beautiful creature, with its dilatable neck, 

 and spots like a pair of spectacles. It rarely attacks a human 

 being unprovoked. It is easily tamed, and learns to love 

 those who feed it. In lonely houses in India, pet cobras are 

 kept as a protection against robbers. 



When a cobra is attacked by a man, it tries to run away to 

 its hole ; but if at bay, and with no hole to flee to, it fights 

 bravely for its life. Eearing itself half erect, with expanded 

 hood, it strikes boldly at its foe. The cobra is at once gentle 

 and brave. It uses its venom as a good man uses his strength 

 — for defence, not for offence. Hence it is associated in 

 Buddhist sculptures with the great teacher himself — 



" Prince Sidharta named, on earth, 

 All honoured, wisest, best, most pitiful, 

 The teacher of Nirvana and the iaw. ; ' 



At this meeting Mr Hugh Fraser gave a short address on 

 Yews, and exhibited some interesting forms of the yew. Mrs 

 Carphin also read a paper on the Vampire-bat, with specimen. 



