6oo 



OPHIDIA 



CHAP. 



his efforts producing death, on the contrary they produced joy. 

 The Python was so angry when he heard this that he ascended 

 a tree and spit up all his venom, but other creeping things came 

 and swallowed it, and people die of their malignancy to this day. 

 The tree, therefore, from which the Python spat up his venom 

 became deadly, and its juice is used to this day for the purpose 

 of poisoi;ing arrows. The Python made the other creatures 

 promise not to bite without provocation. The Cobra said : ' If 



rr'X^Hf- 



Fig. 158. — Python molurus. 



there be transgression so as to dazzle my eyes, to make my tears 

 fall seven times in one day, I will bite.' So said the Tiger (whose 

 bite the Karens esteem as virulent as a serpent's) and others, and 

 they were allowed to retain their poison. But the Water Snake 

 and Prog said they would bite with or without cause as they 

 liked; so the Python drove them into the water, where their 

 poison melted away and their bite became harmless." 



P. molurus is the species of India and Ceylon, ranging, 

 however, also into Indo-China. Boulenger quotes W. Elliot^ 



' llcp. Brit. Ass. 1870. Trans, p. 115. 



