xin, b, i Proceedings of the Manila Medical Society 211 



Of the Elapidae, which are the most deadly of reptiles, good 

 specimens of the following were shown : Naja hannah, the king 

 cobra, or hamadryad ; N. naja caeca, from Luzon ; N. n. miolepis, 

 from Palawan; and N. n. samarensis, from Mindanao. 



The last three are the Philippine representatives of Naja naja 

 tripudians, the famous spectacled cobra of southern Asia. These 

 species are known in Luzon as alopong, or carasaen, the latter 

 name being used in the north in the Ilocos provinces and Panga- 

 sinan. They may be readily recognized, when alive, by the habit 

 of spreading the neck, and in the three subspecies they may 

 be recognized by the loud hissing noise made. They are able to 

 throw the poison to a distance of at least two meters. 



Of the related genera, specimens of Hemibungaris and Dolio- 

 phis were displayed. Special attention was called to the unique 

 poison glands found in the latter genus. Instead of being sit- 

 uated in the head, they form long club-shaped glands, which 

 are contained in the body cavity ; these attain a length in adults 

 of at least 20 centimeters. 



Specimens of the aquatic genera Disteira, Lapemis, and Lati- 

 cauda were shown. These are the sea snakes; they occur in 

 large numbers in Manila Bay. 



The Opisthoglypha (poisonous snakes not regarded as deadly) 

 were represented by several species of Boiga and by the color 

 varieties of Dryopkis prasinus, the widely famed dahon palay. 



A few harmless forms were discussed that approximate the 

 poisonous forms in color, markings, and habits, and so are very 

 frequently confused with them. 



It was requested that more careful observations be made and 

 records be kept by provincial doctors of cases of snake bites, 

 that effort be made for a more careful recording of statistics 

 of death from snake bites by health authorities, and that 

 antivenin serums be manufactured in the Islands. 



R. B. Gibson, 

 Editor of the Proceedings, 



Manila Medical Society. 



