THE SNAKES Ol’ BANGKOK. 181 
dry months of the year, retire to the canals, for cobras drink treely 
- and do not like to be long without water. Here they find excellent 
shelter, and can lie entirely concealed among the dense packs of this 
weed, and the people in dragging it out to destroy it, accidentally 
seize the snakes and so get bitten. 
The treatment of cobra bite is not within the scope of this 
article, but I may mention briefly, that the permanganate of potash 
cure, so strongly boomed a few years ago, has shown itself to be 
of much less value than was originally claimed for it. The only 
antidote at present known of any real benefit, is antivenene, a large 
stock of which is now always on hand at the Pasteur Institute. 
Ligature above, and deep incisions at the seat of, the bite, should of 
course always be performed at once. 
Length. 1830 mm. 
Color (in life). Above.—lI*rom darkish olive-brown to black. 
Hood usually adorned with a clear, pale yellow or whitish circle or 
oval. It may be incomplete and indistinct, but is seldom entirely 
absent. Across the back, just behind the hood, usually a pale chevron 
or oval mark.or only a plain bar, and sometimes one or two or more 
similar marks farther down the body. Below.—Throat and com- 
mencement of body yellow, rest of belly and tail gvey or pale brown. 
Hood usually with a black spot on either side, and a dark trans- 
verse bar behind. The transverse markings across the back, may be 
continued as yellowish bars across the belly. The young when first 
born are black, usually with a high polish like a well polished boot. 
As they grow up they become lighter. The markings upon the hood 
are even more variable than | have mentioned, and it would be un- 
necessary to describe themall. This description applies to Bangkok 
and the neighbouring country only. 
Distribution. Southern Asia, from Transcaspia to China and 
the Malay Archipelago. 
Family. AMBLYCHPHALIDM. 
38. Amblycephalus moellendorfii. 
Count Gyldenstolpe records a specimen of this little snake from 
Bangkok, and another was recently foundj{in a garden in the Suri- 
wongse Road. 
Distribution. SS. China, Indo-China,{Siam, Tenasserim. 
