ON SERPENT-WORSHIP AND VENOMOUS SNAKES. 105 



It is satisfactory to find that the Government of India are 

 insisting* upon the institution of measures having for their 

 object the destruction of snakes. It is, however, to be feared 

 that the last measure proposed, i.e., the cutting down and 

 clearing away of jungle in the vicinity of villages, can hardly 

 be expected to have the desired effect, for the reason that 

 the poisonous snakes do not frequent the sort ol jungles that 

 surround villages so much as they do other localities, such as 

 ruins, holes in walls and in the ground, grass and cultivated 

 fields, &c, and that also the probability is that a great pro- 

 portion of bites are inflicted far from the villages, where such 

 clearances as those proposed by Government could not be 

 effected, even were they useful. I would suggest that a 

 reward should be given for each poisonous snake and for 

 no other; there can be no difficulty in identifying them. 

 This could only be effected by an organised system carried 

 out generally in every district in which poisonous snakes 

 exist. If it were decided to try this plan as universally as it 

 is proposed to cut down the jungle, it is probable that a 

 diminution of the evil might be expected; but whatever 

 efforts are made they should be universally sustained and 

 continuous. It is quite admitted that the problem is a diffi- 

 cult one to solve, but no effort should be spared to mitigate 

 what must be regarded as a preventable cause of death. 



The President (Sir G. Or. Stokes, Bart., V.P.R.S.) — I may take 

 it for granted that the meeting returns its cordial thanks to 

 Sir Joseph Fayrer for this Paper which deals not only with 

 matters of great interest, but seems to raise points of much practical 

 importance. I trust those present who are familiar with the 

 subject will now take part in the discussion. 



Admiral H. D. Grant, C.B., R.N. — With regard to the question 

 of serpent worship in the present day, it may be of interest if I 

 describe a scene which I witnessed in Java a few years ago. I 

 was invited by a Chinaman to go and see this worship in a temple. 

 On arriving I found at the end of the temple an altar with an 

 extraordinary representation of a serpent ; outside there was a 

 huge platform erected which overhung the supports in such a 

 way that it was very difficult for anyone to get on to it. This 

 platform was covered with baskets of raw meat and small animals — 



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