] 10 Catalogue of Reptiles inhabiting the [Oct. 



The following Memorandum relative to the venom of Naja lutescens 

 (Laurenti) has kindly been communicated by J. W. Laidlay, Esq., Joint 

 Secretary, Asiatic Society. 



" The venom was carefully obtained so as to avoid any admixture of 

 saliva, by compressing the venomous glands. It issued from the 

 lower aperture of the fangs in viscid drops of a syrupy consistency, 

 and was received as it fell from the fangs in platina capsules. The 

 serpents operated upon were an adult Cobra de Capello (Naja lutescens, 

 Laurenti) and one of its Varieties (Naja kaouthia, apud Belanger) and 

 were supplied by the kindness of J. W. Grant, Esq. C. S." .- 



*' In every instance the venom readily changed the blue of litmus to 

 red, and restored the bright yellow to turmeric paper that had been 

 reddened by the application of caustic alkali ; an unequivocal proof of 

 acidity. "When left to spontaneous evaporation, it dried into a varnish 

 resembling mucilage, or the glare of an egg, cracking in all directions ; and 

 on being heated it deposited an abundant coagulum, apparently albumin- 

 ous. In either instance when redissolved, it retained its acid property." 



" What the nature of this acid may be, it was impossible to deter- 

 mine from the small quantity operated upon ; nor am I prepared to say 

 that the poison itself is an acid, although if it be not so, it is certainly 

 associated with one. Most probably from the rapid and spontaneous 

 disappearance of its properties by keeping, the poison itself consists of 

 some exceedingly unstable compound, which would be wholly disorga- 

 nised under any attempt at isolation by chemical means." 

 Sub.-Fam. Viperinje, Bonaparte. 

 Gen. Trigonocephalus, Oppel. 



Head broad triangular, scaly, with a pit before the eyes ; trunk 

 robust, cylindrical, tail short, tapering to a point, with scutella beneath. 

 Trigonocephalus gramineus, (Shaw.) 



Syn.— Russell, I. PI. 9, Bodroo Pam ; II. PI. 20. 



Coluber gramineus, Shaw. 



Vipera viridis, Daudin. 



Trimeresurus viridis, Lacepede. 



Cophias viridis, Merrem. 



Coluber gramineus, apud Raffles : Tr. Linn Soc. XIII. 



liodroo Para, Russel, apud Davy ; Ceylon, &c. 



Bothrops, Wagler. 



Trigonocephalus viridis, Sclilegel. 



Trigonocephalus ery thrums, Cantor, (young.) 



"dlardaun" of the Malays. 



