98 TRINIDAD. 



who are more exposed to their encounter, such as sportsmen, are 

 in the possession of good antidotes. The guaco, however, and the 

 roots of the manaco palm — both rather common plants — are the 

 favourite remedy for the bite of serpents. Dogs, in the woods, 

 as also horses and mules, in the underbrush, are common victims 

 of the Cascabel and Mapepire. Casualties from the bite of the 

 Coral snake (Elaps corallinus) must be very rare, since many 

 persons even regard it as perfectly innocuous : this opinion I 

 myself entertained for a long time, and until I had too convincing 

 a proof of the contrary in the death, within a few hours, of two 

 robust African labourers, under the following circumstances. 

 These two men were at work in a cane-field, on "La Marguerite" 

 Estate, in the ward of St. Joseph; having discovered a coral 

 snake, they laid hold of it by way of amusement. Of the 

 warning given by their fellow-labourers they took no notice, 

 but, on the contrary, continued to tease the reptile, and even put 

 its head into their mouths. They were both bitten, one on the 

 lip, and the other on the tongue ; this happened about 1 p.m. 

 The one who had apparently most irritated the snake, soon began 

 to reel about like a drunken man, and was next taken with 

 convulsions ; he died about eight o' clock, and the other about 

 nine, the same day. This coral has been preserved by Dr. Court, 

 and measures four feet and a half. 



The Clibo or Cribo [Coluber variabilis) haunts inhabited 

 places, and is occasionally seen in houses, where, however, it 

 ought to be welcome as a destroyer of rats. It is asserted that 

 this Cribo is the enemy of the poisonous serpents, which it would 

 fight successfully. Some years ago, Mr. Robert Mitchell, now 

 Protector of Immigrants in Demerara, but then Sub-Intendant 

 of Crown Lands, on his way to Blanchisseuse, through the high 

 woods, met with a black Cribo, called by the peones, " Vidua," 

 and was preparing to dispatch it, when he was entreated by a 

 peon who accompanied him not to kill the innocuous beast, as 

 it was a deadly enemy of the venomous snakes, which it would 

 fight and kill. Mr. Mitchell desisted, though not quite satisfied 

 with the assertion of his companion. A short time after, hir 

 view was arrested by the curious appearance of two snakes en- 

 twined in a fierce struggle. On a nearer approach, he found 

 that one of the snakes had taken hold of the other by the head, 

 and was in the act of swallowing its antagonist. The peon 



