﻿DANGEROUS 
  REPTILES 
  — 
  COCHRAN 
  321 
  

  

  identified 
  beyond 
  any 
  doubt, 
  it 
  is 
  best 
  to 
  use 
  the 
  specific 
  antivenin, 
  

   if 
  one 
  is 
  available." 
  (Nigel 
  Wolff, 
  personal 
  communication.) 
  

  

  A 
  famous 
  laboratory 
  for 
  making 
  antivenin 
  for 
  the 
  bites 
  of 
  neo- 
  

   tropical 
  poisonous 
  snakes 
  is 
  the 
  Instituto 
  Butantan 
  at 
  Sao 
  Paulo, 
  

   Brazil. 
  In 
  exchange 
  for 
  live 
  snakes 
  from 
  which 
  to 
  obtain 
  fresh 
  

   venom, 
  which 
  are 
  sent 
  in 
  by 
  planters 
  and 
  farmers 
  all 
  over 
  Brazil, 
  

   the 
  institute 
  furnishes 
  fresh 
  antivenin 
  to 
  use 
  in 
  the 
  many 
  cases 
  of 
  

   snake 
  bite 
  occuring 
  among 
  the 
  laborers 
  clearing 
  ground 
  for 
  new 
  

   plantations. 
  The 
  death 
  rate 
  from 
  snake 
  bite 
  in 
  Brazil 
  was 
  estimated 
  

   to 
  be 
  about 
  3,000 
  a 
  year 
  before 
  the 
  establishment 
  of 
  the 
  institute. 
  In 
  

   1930, 
  however, 
  after 
  careful 
  tabulation, 
  the 
  total 
  appeared 
  to 
  be 
  well 
  

   under 
  100. 
  

  

  In 
  Australia, 
  the 
  Commonwealth 
  Serum 
  Laboratories 
  at 
  Melbourne 
  

   manufacture 
  antivenin 
  for 
  the 
  bites 
  of 
  the 
  tiger 
  snake 
  and 
  death 
  

   adder, 
  the 
  two 
  most 
  deadly 
  snakes 
  of 
  that 
  region. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  French 
  colonies, 
  various 
  branches 
  of 
  the 
  Pasteur 
  Institute 
  

   provide 
  serums 
  for 
  different 
  kinds 
  of 
  local 
  poisonous 
  snakes. 
  The 
  

   Burroughs-Wellcome 
  products, 
  of 
  English 
  manufacture, 
  are 
  available 
  

   in 
  India 
  and 
  Egypt 
  and 
  other 
  areas 
  of 
  British 
  influence, 
  while 
  the 
  South 
  

   African 
  Institute 
  for 
  Medical 
  Kesearch, 
  Johannesburg, 
  supplies 
  serum 
  

   for 
  the 
  bite 
  of 
  many 
  African 
  species. 
  

  

  DIRECTIONS 
  FOR 
  MAKING 
  SCIENTIFIC 
  COLLECTIONS 
  

  

  In 
  little-explored 
  regions 
  there 
  is 
  always 
  the 
  incentive 
  of 
  dis- 
  

   covering 
  unknown 
  species, 
  which 
  would 
  be 
  of 
  great 
  scientific 
  value 
  

   if 
  they 
  could 
  be 
  collected 
  and 
  preserved 
  for 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Na- 
  

   tional 
  Museum 
  in 
  Washington, 
  D. 
  C. 
  It 
  is 
  relatively 
  easy 
  to 
  preserve 
  

   snakes, 
  lizards, 
  frogs, 
  and 
  toads. 
  All 
  that 
  is 
  necessary 
  after 
  killing 
  

   them 
  is 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  short 
  incision 
  with 
  a 
  penknife 
  on 
  the 
  ventral 
  surface 
  

   into 
  the 
  stomach 
  and 
  intestines, 
  then 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  dropped 
  into 
  a 
  

   solution 
  of 
  1 
  part 
  formaldehyde 
  and 
  10 
  parts 
  water 
  and 
  left 
  for 
  2 
  

   or 
  3 
  days. 
  They 
  should 
  then 
  be 
  changed 
  into 
  a 
  fresh 
  solution 
  of 
  

   the 
  same 
  strength. 
  When 
  they 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  packed 
  for 
  shipment, 
  an 
  

   empty 
  gasoline 
  tin 
  should 
  be 
  lined 
  with 
  paper 
  or 
  straw 
  to 
  prevent 
  

   the 
  rust 
  from 
  discoloring 
  the 
  skins 
  of 
  the 
  preserved 
  specimens. 
  The 
  

   specimens 
  themselves 
  should 
  be 
  loosely 
  wrapped 
  in 
  cheesecloth 
  damp- 
  

   ened 
  with 
  formaldehyde, 
  with 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  collection, 
  the 
  date 
  col- 
  

   lected, 
  and 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  collector 
  very 
  plainly 
  written 
  with 
  soft 
  

   black 
  pencil 
  on 
  heavy 
  paper. 
  This 
  information 
  is 
  absolutely 
  neces- 
  

   sary, 
  for 
  without 
  it 
  the 
  specimens 
  are 
  valueless. 
  The 
  gasoline 
  tin 
  

   may 
  then 
  be 
  soldered 
  shut, 
  and 
  the 
  specimens 
  will 
  keep 
  for 
  several 
  

   months 
  without 
  more 
  attention. 
  Those 
  interested 
  in 
  natural 
  history 
  

   will 
  find 
  it 
  a 
  pleasant 
  occupation 
  for 
  spare 
  time 
  to 
  make 
  such 
  collec- 
  

   tions, 
  and 
  the 
  collections 
  will 
  be 
  assured 
  of 
  prompt 
  study 
  and 
  identi- 
  

   fication 
  upon 
  their 
  arrival 
  at 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  National 
  Museum. 
  

  

  