THEIE NATTJEE AND EFFECTS. 159 



impunity. I have seen hundreds of cobras brought in 

 for rewards, but yearlings have been very few amongst 

 them. The reason is that when the snake's hole is dug 

 out, the cobra with the long body can be readily seized ; 

 but the young one, which can turn round in the smallest 

 space with the greatest ease, is generally allowed to 

 escape. The fact that yearlings are seldom brought in 

 for the reward is conclusive evidence that it does not 

 answer to breed them, for no one would seriously urge 

 that the breeder would keep them for a long time before 

 producing them. 



Taken altogether, then, it would seem wise to adopt 

 a moderate system of rewards ; but attention, of course, 

 should be paid to every detail that can add eflBciency to 

 the scheme, and lessen its cost. In no case should a 

 reward be given except for a poisonous snake, and the 

 officer in charge of the distribution should, in all cases, 

 be thoroughly competent to identify all common snakes, 

 both poisonous and non-poisonous; a knowledge that 

 can be acquired with ease in a few days, or even hours, 

 if opportunities of inspecting the snakes themselves be 

 afforded. It is doubtful, also, whether rewards should 

 t)e given for all poisonous snakes. The Trimeresuri, 

 for instance, are not very dangerous to life, and perhaps 

 no advantage would be gained by including them. The 

 snakes in the front rank of those ofifending, probably in 

 the order of their danger, are the Cobra, the Bungarus 

 cceruleus, the Echis carinata, the Daboia russellii, the 



