366 A YEAR IN BRAZIL. 



yard of him, but continued swallowing the frog, swelling out mar- 

 vellously as it gradually was disappearing. As the last foot of the 

 frog entered the snake's mouth, I gave him a blow on the head, 

 when immediately the frog was disgorged, every bone in his body 

 broken, covered with slime, but still breathing and moving. After 

 killing the snake, I was also compelled to despatch the frog. 



I regret much not having preserved any snakes, but the instinct 

 of self-preservation was, perhaps unfortunately, always uppermost ; 

 therefore, the reptiles were so disfigured and bruised they were of 

 no use as specimens. 



M. Liais says of the cascavel * that it does not inhabit the 

 forests on the coasts, but especially the region of high campos, as 

 the plateau of Barbacena. " Happily, this serpent of so active 

 a poison is very lazy, and does not attack. It only bites when 

 touched or trodden on. My learned friend, the Visconde de 

 Prados, had the opportunity, near Barbacena, of observing several 

 cases of bites by this snake, and furnished me with most interest- 

 ing information as to its poison. Death follows on the bite almost 

 instantaneously, preceded by blindness. The evil is generally 

 incurable, especially when the bite reaches parts much interlaced 

 by veins. Sometimes, however, the Crotalus has but little poison, 

 no doubt because it has recently bitten another animal, and in 

 that case, which is rare, a cure may be effected. The effect of 

 the poison is to dissolve the blood globules and, by increasing its 

 fluidity, to produce haemorrhage." M. Liais mentions another 

 snake of the same genus, Crotalus urutti. 



I heard occasionally of persons who were bitten, but was only 

 told of two cures. The first, and more general because easily 

 attainable, making the patient drunk ; the other, injection of per- 

 manganate of potassium. I always carried in my pocket a small 

 case containing a bottle of this liquid, and a syringe, etc., for 

 injection hypodermically ; but am most thankful to say I never had 

 occasion to use it. I was once informed that a man was bitten 

 who wished for the injection ; the village apothecary had the 

 necessaries, but, never having tried the operation, refused to per- 

 form, and a messenger was sent to me on the matter. I was 

 unable to go, but showed the man my apparatus and explained 

 * " Climats, Faune," etc., p. 305. 



