POISON OF SOME INDIAN VENOMOUS SNAKES. 83 



12.39. Almost paralysed ; mouth now closed ; head lying on 

 the side. The body is swollen where bitten. 



12.43. Dead 7 minutes after the bite. This snake was 

 peculiarly active and vigorous though innocuous. 



Experiment c. — A green whip-snake {Passerita mydcrizans), 

 somewhat smaller than the former one, was bitten in the body 

 by a Daboia at 1.40. 



1.45. Almost powerless. It gradually became more and 

 more exhausted, gaped like the one bitten by the cobra, and at 

 2.2 it was dead, 22 minutes after the bite. The Daboia had 

 been in confinement for some time and was probably exhausted. 



Experiment /. — A small rat-snake {Ptyas mucosa), about 

 2 feet long, was bitten by a Bungarus ccBridcus, 42 i inches long, 

 in the muscles of the back at 1.8 p.m. ; blood drawn. 



2.30. Sluggish ; has lost all its vivacity. 



8.25. Found dead 7 hours and 17 minutes after the bite. 



The occasional escape of an innocuous snake after the bite of 

 a poisonous one is illustrated by Experiment g. Several others 

 were made with a like result. 



Experiment g. — A full-grown rat-snake {Ptyas mucosa), about 

 8 feet long, was bitten by a fresh cobra about two-thirds grown 

 and about half its own size. About 13 minutes after the bite 

 it seemed restless and uneasy, but remained perfectly active, 

 and was perfectly well on the third day after the bite. 



The power of one venomous snake to kill another appears 

 from the following experiments : — 



Experiment h. — A Bungarus fasciatus, nearly full grown, was 

 bitten by a very large and powerful cobra, 5 feet 8 inches in 

 length. It was bitten twice, about 8 inches from the head, 

 at 12.22 p.m. The cobra took firm hold and implanted the 

 fangs deeply. It seemed to be unaffected ; and 22| hours after 

 the bite it still seemed well ; but it died about the 29th hour. 



Experiment i. — A Bungarus cceruleus, 28 inches long, was 

 bitten by a very large and powerful cobra. It died in 40 minutes, 

 (95) D 



