1902 The Zoologist — November, 1869. 



cobra in the thigh at 12.2 ; at 12 3' 45" it crouched ; head drooping, 

 beak resting on the ground. At 12 4' 30" paralyzed, head lying on 

 the ground; at 12.5 convulsed; at 12 5' 10" dead, i.e., in three 

 minutes and ten seconds. 



" Experiment, No. 7. — A second chicken was bitten by the same 

 cobra at 12 9' 30" on the thigh; at 12.10 leg partially paralyzed; at 

 12.13 lying down, beak resting on the ground; at 12 13' 30" para- 

 lyzed, beak resting on its point on the ground ; at 12.14 convulsed. 

 Dead in five minutes and thirty seconds. 



" Experiment, No. 8. — A third chicken was bitten by the same 

 cobra in the thigh at 12 17' 30" ; at 12 18' 30" it fell over, rested the 

 point of its beak on the ground; at 12.19 convulsed; at 12.21 dead, 

 in four and a half minutes. This chicken was rather smaller than the 

 two preceding ones. These three experiments show that the snake had 

 lost but little of its power in three efforts : the cobra used in these 

 experiments was not fully grown, but it was very active and vicious. 



" Experiment, No. 9. — The above snmll cobra was bitten at 12.35 

 in two places, in the middle of its body and on the ventral surface, by 

 a large and fresh cobra. October 16th, 8 p.m., not affected; it lived. 

 " Experitnent, No. 10.— October 19lh, 11.40 a.m., a large dhamin 

 {Plyaa viucosus) was bitten in two places by a daboia ; at 11.47 is 

 partially ])aralyzcd ; the mouth is wide open ; appears unable to move; 

 respiration continues ; at 11.49 moving slowly about; at 11.52 ap- 

 pears to be recovering; at 12 more active. October 20lh, 6 a.m., 

 appears sluggish ; at 10 a.m., on being roused, moves slowly, but is 

 weak and stiff. Recovered subsequently. October 26th, 12 47'I" 

 bitten again by another daboia ; at 1 P.M. no effect ; became sluggish 

 and died at 10.40 P.M. on October 27th." 



On the 26th October a number of other experiments were made 

 with the view of again carefully examining the blood-surface before 

 and after the snake-bite : the blood was very carefully examined on 

 three occasions : — 1st, before the animal was bitten ; 2nd, whilst it 

 was under the influence of the poison ; 3rd, after death. In no case 

 was anything found to support Professor Halford's theory, or to con- 

 firm his observations. There was no appearance of any new cor- 

 puscle, nor was there any change of importance in the condition of 

 either the red or white globules of the blood. My impressions were 

 in favour of the theory advocated by Professor Halford, and if any 

 bias existed it was certainly for, rather than against, the explanation 

 he gives of the pathological changes in the blood. Nothing, however, 



