116 VENOMOUS SNAKE. 



reptile in this specimen had been cut off by the 

 Chinese who first arrived to the assistance of the 

 wounded man, who having bruised it, had applied 

 it as a poultice to the bitten part ; from which a 

 query may arise, whether the poison mingled with 

 the mashed head, being applied to the bitten 

 part, may not have served to hasten the fatal ter- 

 mination. 



This venomous reptile is called luhite and black 

 S7iake, from its colours ; by the Chinese, Pak, y, 

 hak, (pak signifying white, and hak, black). 

 The largest size it has been seen to attain, has 

 been three feet. The colour of the reptile is a 

 bluish v/hite, with black, circular, broad rings, 

 around the body. The head (which I had an 

 opportunity of examining in another and unmu- 

 tilated specimen) was broad, flattened, with ten 

 broad scales upon the upper and lateral parts ; 

 and around the body, from one extremity to the 

 other, there were forty-nine circular rings. The 

 length of my specimen is nearly three feet. 



The Chinese, just mentioned as having been 

 bitten by this reptile, was described to me 

 as being a stout, robust, and healthy man. 

 The part of his body wounded, was on and 

 about the little toe. He was bitten at eleven 

 p. M., and in the space of an hour was quite 



