in] SNAKES 



ognomy, as do the Paradiseidse to New Guinea. Most of the Bornean 

 birds, even permanent residents, are found in the neighbouring 

 islands (especially in Sumatra), or in the Malay Peninsula ; whilst 

 several of those not found elsewhere only differ in minor characters 

 from allied species living on neighbouring islands. 



Not unfrequently our hunters and collectors would bring us 

 snakes, mostly living, and suspended by a slip-knot to a stick. 

 These usually met their fate in a jar of spirits, but some of them 

 were sufficiently large to render the operation a little embarrassing. 

 One day a Malay brought me a " chinchin mas " * (Dipsas dendrophila 

 of zoologists), an entirely black species, with yellow rings ; it was a 

 fine specimen, about six feet in length. This species frequents 

 trees by the riverside, or the mangroves, and it is not uncommon for 

 specimens to drop into a passing sampan, for it has a habit of rest- 

 ing half-twisted on overhanging branches, easily shaken by a passing 

 boat. The natives assert that it is poisonous. When I handle 

 snakes, whether poisonous or not, I always hold them by the neck 

 between the thumb and index finger of the right hand, for thus held 

 they cannot possibly bite. When putting them in spirits I take 

 care to have a jar with a wide mouth of adequate size ready, and 

 introduce the snake, held as I have stated, tail foremost. In the left 

 hand I hold the stopper of the jar, and when the body of the snake 

 is well in I drop the head, and with a rapid movement close the jar. 

 In performing this operation on the above-mentioned " chinchin 

 mas " — a very lively specimen — the moment I let go the head I 

 distinctly saw it emit with some force two fine jets of liquid from 

 the mouth, just as a poisonous snake might do. On another occa- 

 sion I had quite a struggle with an " ular sawa," a species of python, 

 small of its kind but exceedingly vigorous. I had it as usual by the 

 nape and was going to pot it, when it twisted itself with such 

 force round my arm that I was obliged to call one of my men to my 

 assistance to free myself from its coils. We kept several pythons 

 alive, and one escaped and remained hidden for some weeks in a 

 neighbouring house, where I found it. When not too big these 

 snakes are quite harmless, and may even be considered useful, for 

 they are kept in houses, where they do excellent service in destroying 

 rats. One day I caught one of these big snakes in a singular manner. 

 Our cook was in the habit of keeping a few live fowls in a cage in a 

 corner of the kitchen, a small separate hut a few yards from the 

 bungalow and level with the ground. On going to fetch a fowl he 

 was surprised to find in its stead a large python, which, having entered 

 the cage through the bars, had swallowed the fowl and coiled itself 

 up on the spot for quiet digestion. Even had it wished to leave 

 the cage it could no longer have done so, having considerably in- 

 creased in girth. A similar tale is told of a bigger python, which, 



1 Anglice, " gold ring." 



33 d 



