38 MH. W. THEOBA-LD, JUN., ON THE 



and with a rich glossy lustre. The grey colour of the back is 

 seen as a series of oblique lozenges separated by black, and yellow- 

 margined. Yellow is also interspersed on the interstitial black 

 ground between the lozenges, and on the sides forms irregular 

 ocelli. Tho minor details of pattern irregular and variegated. 

 Head yellow, Avith a median narrow black streak, and two black 

 dots on the occiput. This animal was taken alive in the Pegu 

 range, and the species is pretty common in Pegu and Tenasserim. 

 The gall-bladder is esteemed for medicine ; and the flesh is eaten 

 by the Karens, and indeed looJcs white and tempting. A snake 

 of this size is capable of swallowing a Barking Deer (Sfj/loceras) ; 

 and, according to report, a full-grown one will swallow a doe 

 Sambur (Siisa), though I imagine such a case is very rare. 

 That a full-grown one could swallow a man I have no doubt, but 

 I never heard of one doing so. 



According to native testimony, this snake is of a very harmless 

 and timid disposition, and when disturbed buries its head in its 

 own coils without attempting to injure its assailants. 



Many fables are current among the Kai'ens about snakes and 

 animals, and some which correspond to, or, as some might put it, 

 corroborate the story of the Ml in Genesis ; but as these stories 

 come to us mainly through Missionary spectacles, they are (without 

 any imputation of motives) to be received cioni (/ratio. For example, 

 as regards the narrative of Eve and the serpent, the Karen analogue 

 represents the Python as having decoyed Eve into his den, where 

 she employed her time in impressing on her host's back the 

 beautiful design it bears to tlie present day. Another legend is, that 

 formerly all snakes were poisonous, but when the great Father was 

 about to introduce human beings on the earth, tlie snakes were 

 questioned as to how they woxild behave. The Cobra replied that 

 he would not bite without provocation which should bring tears 

 into his eyes, and he was consequently allowed to retain his 

 venom ; but the Python and others replied that they would bite, 

 with or without provocation, as pleased themselves. For their 

 arrogant answer the great Father drove them into tlie water, where 

 their venom Avas dissolved, and their descendants to this day 

 remain harmless. Another story is also told of how tlio once 

 venomous Python came to lose his poison. The Pytlion, say the 

 elders, was once so poisonous that, if he only bit the dust where 

 a man had trod, the man died ; but as the Python never saw the 

 result, he asked the crow to watch •vvll(''t happened. Shortly a 



