104 SIR JOSEPH FAYRER, K.C.S.I., ETC., 



destroyed at a cost of Es. 3. In 1890, 2 cattle were killed; 

 26 snakes were destroyed at a cost of Es. 6. 



In the Hyderabad Assigned Districts in 1889, 216 human 

 beings, and 120 cattle were killed ; 76 snakes were destroyed 

 at a cost of Es. 2(). In 1890, 191 human beings, and 132 

 cattle were killed; 113 snakes were destroyed at a cost ot 

 Es. 29. 



In Ajmere and Merwara in 1889, 53 human beings were 

 killed ; 224 snakes were destroyed at a cost of Es. 10. In 

 1890, 78 human beings and 3 cattle were killed ; 192 snakes 

 were destroyed at a cost of Es. 20 



In Bangalore, in 1889, 1 human being was killed ; 645 

 snakes were destroyed at a cost of Es. 231. In 1890, no 

 human beings nor cattle were killed ; 746 snakes were 

 destroyed at a cost of Es. 277. 



Throughout India, in 1889 there were 22,480 human beings 

 and 3,793 cattle killed by snakes, while 578.415 snakes were 

 destroyed at a cost of Es. 23,556. In 1890. there were 2 1,412 

 human beings and 3,948 cattle killed ; while 510,659 snakes 

 were destroyed at a cost of Es. 19,004. 



" The average result for all the Provinces, shows a mor- 

 tality of one to every 10,155 of population in 1890, as 

 compared with one to every 9,673 in 1889. The Provinces 

 which showed the greatest loss of life from snalce-bite in 

 proportion of population (excluding Ajmere and Merwara) 

 are Bengal (1 to 6,731), the North-West Provinces and Oudh 

 (1 to 8,094), and the Central Provinces (1 to 10,350). The 

 lowest mortality (about 1 to 25,00() of population) occurred 

 in Madras, the Punjab, and Assam." — Report of Indian Govern- 

 ment, 1891. 



As regards the measures to be adopted for reducing the 

 annual loss of life by snake-bite, the chief points are to make 

 known the appearance and habits of the poisonous snakes, 

 and to institute proper rewards for their destruction. With 

 a plain description, and a faithful representation in colour of 

 each species, such as the Government of India have been put 

 in possession of, the people can easily be made acquainted 

 with the characters that distinguish the venomous from the 

 harmless snakes, and thus learn to avoid or to destroy 

 them. 



Until some measures are more uniformly resorted to, there 

 will be no material diminution in the loss of human life from 

 snake-bite, which cannot now be rated at less than 20,000 

 annually. 



