556 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXII. 



form a furrow for the attachment of an important muscle, the 

 masseter. This muscle originates from the postfrontal bone, and 

 the ridges on the parietal, and is somewhat fan-shaped. Its fibres 

 converge, and pass first backwards over the superior and internal 

 surfaces of the gland, then downwards behind its posterior pole, and 

 finally forwards to be attached to the fiirrow, or dimple in front 

 ■of the lobe. The muscle, in fact, embraces a large part of the 

 gland surface, and in contraction squeezes it much in the same 

 way as the hand operates on a bicycle horn, the result being that 

 poison is driven forwards into the duct to pour finally into the 

 mouth. The neck of the gland consists of a sheath which is the 

 direct continuation of the capsule surrounding the body, but is 

 much thinner. Centrally is the poison duct, and intermediate 

 between the sheath and the duct a series of mucous glands. These 

 are placed at right angles to the axis of the duct, and discharge 

 their mucous into that channel where it mingles with the poison 

 proper. In section the gland appears to the naked eye much 

 like a sponge. 



Our plate shows a vertical section in the length of the gland, 

 the diameter in this direction being more than twice that in a 

 transverse direction. In other words, the gland is markedly com- 

 pressed. The constricted portion or neck is the most anterior part. 

 The little lobe situated at the posterior pole, and directed down- 

 wards is well shown. 



Physical characters of cobra ijoison. — Cobra venom when freshly 

 secreted, is a clear, amber-coloured, very viscid fluid with a specific 

 gravity of 1050. It resembles olive oil in appearance and consist- 

 ency and soon solidifies into an amorphous, brittle mass, fissuring 

 in all directions, and losing from 60 to 75 per cent, of its weight in 

 the process of drying. 



Major Glen Liston has very kindly weighed me a drop of fresh 

 cobra venom in the balance at Parel Laboratory, and find it weighs 

 proximately 35 mgms. Allowing a loss of 68 per cent, in drying, 

 the residue of one drop would weigh 11 mgms. It is somewhat 

 remarkable that a drop of olive oil to which I have compared cobra 

 venom in appearance and consistency only weighs 6 mgms. in the 

 same balance at Parel. When dry the poison retains its trans- 

 parency and resembles gum or amber. In the dry state it keeps 

 well, and preserves its virulent character according to Vincent 

 Richards for at least 15 years. The same authority shows that 

 though there has been some difierence of opinon among authorities, 

 poison is acid when fresh, and this, in spite of the fact that the 

 normal reaction of the cobra's mouth is alkaline. Lamb has con- 

 firmed these observations. After the lapse of some hours the 

 venom becomes neutral. Dr. Nicholson says it is slightly bitter 

 to the taste and causes a feeling of frothy soapiness in the 



