82 ON THE NATURE AND ACTION OF THE 



experiments selected from a number recorded in tlie Thanato- 

 phidia of India : — 



Experiment a. — March 10th, 1868. — A rat-snake (Ftyas 

 mucosa), about 6 feet in length, was bitten by a large cobra at 

 12.54. Before closing the snake's jaws on the part the scales 

 were scraped off. Blood was freely drawn by the snake's fangs 

 from bites inflicted in two places. 



1.8 P.M. Appears sluggish ; wound bleeding freely. 



1.16. Perfectly active, and moves about rapidly in the cage. 



1.35. No change. 



There was no apparent change in the snake all that day or 

 the next, except that it may have been a little more sluggish. 

 It died in the night of the 11th, being found dead on the 

 morning of the 12tli. 



Experiment h. — A small grass-snake (Tropidomhcs quincun- 

 ciatus) was bitten by a cobra at 1.12 p.m. 



1.11. Very sluggish. 



1.20. Tosses its head about in a convulsive manner. 

 1.25. Dead 13 minutes after the bite. 



Experiment c. — Two tree-snakes (Bendrophis picta), one about 

 3 feet 4 inches long, and the other somewhat smaller, were 

 bitten by a cobra. 



1.7. The larger snake bitten. 



1.8. The smaller one bitten. 



1.12. Both sluggish. 



1.15. The smaller snake dead 7 minutes after the bite. 



1.16. The larger one dead 9 minutes after the bite. 



They simply seemed to become sluggish and powerless ; there 

 were no convulsions, no writhings or contortions. After they 

 had appeared quite dead for a moment or two, the tail of each 

 moved slightly. 



Experiment d. — A green whip-snake (Fasserita myderizans) 

 more than 3 feet long, was bitten by a cobra about 10 inches 

 from the head, at 12.37 p.m. 



12.38. Sluggish, moves less actively ; gapes, keeping the 

 mouth wide open. 



