3670 Reptiles. 



dress among the winged and furred denizens of Scandinavia at the 

 approach of their rigorous winter : but without attempting to account 

 for all such occurrences, and presuming that they spring from a va- 

 riety of causes, I conclude that the effect is always produced in the 

 same manner, viz., by the withdrawal of the pigment, or colouring 

 matter, from the fluid which nourishes the feathers, whether that fail- 

 ure of the pigment be the result of terror, or any other accident or 

 physical cause. 



Alfred Charles Smith. 



Old Park, Devizes, 



November 4, 1852. 



Experiments with Venomous Serpents. By Daniel T. Evans, Esq. 



The subject of animal poisons having, through the late casualty at 

 the Zoological Gardens, attracted public notice, it occurred to me, 

 when in the country, that the publication of some notes of the first of 

 a series of experiments on animals bitten by venomous serpents might 

 be both interesting and serviceable, and upon my return to town, T 

 proceed to embody them in writing and place them at your service. 

 Their origin was as follows : — In the course of last spring, I was in- 

 formed by my friend, Dr. Richard Quain, in a conversation upon ani- 

 mal poisons, that Mr. Squire, the well-known chemist, had told him 

 he was desirous of testing the efficacy of a powder called Simaba Ce- 

 dron, in high repute among the Indians as a remedy for the bite of 

 poisonous reptiles. No experiments as to its merits having been 

 made in this country, I at once suggested a trial of it in the Zoological 

 Gardens. Dr. Quain, whose love of science in every form is only 

 equalled by the ardour and ability with which he pursues it, at once 

 concurred, and I wrote to the Secretary of the Zoological Society for 

 permission to try the remedy on animals bitten by serpents in the So- 

 ciety's collection. This was promptly accorded, and I have pleasure 

 in adding that the Society, justly appreciating our motive, handsome- 

 ly, and of their own accord, undertook all charges for animals and 

 material — Mr. Mitchell, the Secretary, stating their " anxiety to 

 afford all possible facilities for carrying out the investigation." 



And here, in order to justify our proceedings to all who may read 

 the subjoined report, and effectually to silence objections on the 

 ground of cruelty, I feel it necessary to say that these experiments 

 were not instituted in a spirit of vain and wanton curiosity, but with 



