The Zoologist — November, 1869. 1901 



corpuscle in ' Scientific Opinion.' The examination of objects under 

 the microscope, as I know from experience, is not so easy as is 

 generally imagined, and any delay in mounting so delicate an object 

 as a blood-corpuscle is fatal to accuracy of observation. With these 

 remarks I will quote the experiments of Dr. Fayrer, which were re- 

 corded in the ' Indian Medical Gazette ' for December, 1868 : — 



*' The following experiments are the latest that Dr. Fayrer has 

 made in continuing his splendid series of researches on this im- 

 portant subject : — 



" Experiment, No. 1. — 15th October. A fish (Ophiocephalus maru- 

 lius), about ten inches in length, was bitten by a fresh cobra at 11.20 a.m. 

 in two places, on the dorsal and ventral surfaces. At 11.22 the fish 

 turned over on its side in the water; at 11.23 struggling and plung- 

 ing violently in the water; at 11.25 turned over on its side; at 11.26, 

 on being roused, plunged violently; at 11.40 dead. Bitten at 11.20; 

 died at 11.40. Dead in twenty minutes. 



" Experiment, No. 2. — A large snail (Achatina fulica) was bitten at 

 11.28 by a cobra; it immediately withdrew itself within its shell. At 

 1 1.45, in order to examine its condition, the shell was broken ; it still 

 continued to contract. At 12 no contraction; all irritability seemed 

 extinct. Dead. 



" Experiment, No. 3. — Two snails of equal size, shells previously 

 broken ; one was bitten by a cobra at 12.28; it immediately shrank, 

 aud contracted itself. The other snail was not bitten, and was kept 

 for comparison. At 12.40 irritability of the bitten snail much 

 diminished. The bitten snail seemed to lose its vitality mnch sooner 

 than the uninjured one ; but the precise time when irritability ceased 

 was not noted. These were the only invertebrate animals I could 

 procure on this occasion. The experiments, though not very 

 satisfactory, leave no doubt that the mollusk was affected by the 

 poison. 



" Experiment, No. 4. — A fully-grown cobra was bitten at 11.40 a.m. 

 in two places near the tail, by Daboia Russelli ; at 11.48 no effect; 

 12.50 no effect. October 10th (20th ?), 8 p.m., the snake was per- 

 haps not so lively, but there was no marked effect, and it lived. 



" Experiment, No. 5. — A fully-grown cobra was bitten in two 

 places, on the ventral surface and the middle of the body, by a daboia, 

 at 11.58. Up to 12.50 no effect; 16th October, 8 p.m., no effect; 

 the snake lived. 



" Experiment, No. 6. — A half-grown chicken was bitten by a fresh 



