Chap. V.J SNAKES. 205 



Avellii frequently glided through the rooms on their 

 way towards the grounds. During the residence of 

 one of my predecessors in office, an invaUd, Avho lay 

 for some days on a sofa in the verandah, imagined 

 more than once that she felt sometliing move under the 

 ])illow ; and on rising to have it examhied, a snake was 

 discovered with a brood of young, wliich from theu- 

 being born ahve were most probably venomous. A lady 

 residing in the old palace adjoining, going to open her 

 piano was about to remove what she thought to be an 

 ebony walking-stick that lay upon it, but was startled on 

 finding that she had laid hold of a snake. 



One day when the carriage had come to the door, and 

 I was about to hand a lady in, a rat-snake uncoiled itself 

 on the cushion, and ghded leisurely down the steps. 

 These creatures, however, are perfectly harmless, and are 

 encouraged by the horse-keepers to take up their abode 

 about the offices and stable-yard, wliicli they keep fi"ee 

 of vermin. In colour they are brown, with a tmge of 

 iridescent blue. 



Another less formidable intruder was the great black 

 scorpion \ as large as a little cray-fish, which sometimes 

 when disturbed in the dayhght made its way across the 

 floor with its venomed tail arched forward, prepared to 

 encounter any assailant. Its habits are crepuscular, 

 lurking by day under stones and in ruined waUs and 

 cellars, and issuing at dusk in search of orthopterous 

 larva3 and succulent insects. Exaggerated aj^prehen- 

 sions prevail as to the effi3Cts of its wound, which is 

 neither dangerous nor very painful, l)ut after occasioning 

 some inflammation, yields to the free use of hartshorn 

 and coohng lotions.^ 



A small yellow scorpion^ is common in aU parts of 

 the island, flat, narrow, and about two inches in length. 



^ Buthns Afer, Linn. 



"^ Dr. Davy says, that in Ceylon 

 tlie poison of the scorpion is very 

 little if at all more active than that 

 of tho 1)P0 or wasp. He adds, that 

 ill tw(i or three instances, when he 



tried the sting of the lar<;e black 

 scorpion on fowls, it appeared to 

 have no effect. (Daw's Ceuhn, p. 

 101.) ^ 



^ Scorpio linearis, Temp. 



