1847.] Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 1045 



7 hours, a dog in 2 to 3 hours, after having been wounded, (Russell, I. 

 page 60.) Mr. Hodgson has seen a man who was wounded by this 

 species, the only venomous known to inhabit Nepal, fearfully suffering 

 from pain and swelling, but he never heard of a fatal case. — (Transac- 

 tions Zoological Society. London. Vol. II, page 309.) 



A male Trigonocephalies puniceus, successively wounded two fowls, 

 one in the chest, the other in the left thigh. In both cases the fangs 

 of both sides acted, but neither of the birds experienced any other effect 

 except a slight pain, which lasted a few minutes after they had been 

 wounded. It should, however, be observed, that the serpent at the time 

 had gorged itself with food, in which state it was observed close to the 

 General Hospital, in the valley of Pinang. Another individual was 

 subsequently caused to wound a fowl on the inside of the thigh. The 

 bird immediately drew up the wounded leg, fell down and was purged 

 3 minutes after being wounded. In 3 minutes more, slight spasms of 

 the head and neck appeared at short intervals, but they ceased in 5 

 minutes, when the fowl made, at first some unsuccessful, attempts to 

 rise. Twenty-one minutes after having been wounded, the bird rose, 

 shook the wings, and had perfectly recovered. The same serpent sub- 

 sequently was made to wound another fowl on the inside of the 

 left thigh. The bird drew up the wounded leg, and was slightly 

 purged, but showed no other inconvenience from the wound. 



The following experiment is communicated by Dr. Montgomerie. 

 An adult Trigonocephalus sumatranus, Var. was made to bite a fowl 

 in the fleshy part of the thigh. The bird limped about for a short 

 time, and a minute after it was wounded commenced purging. At the 

 end of two minutes it fell, breathing laboriously and was strongly con- 

 vulsed. At the end of six minutes a few drops of water exuded from 

 the eyes ; in fifteen seconds more it was quite dead : six minutes and a 

 quarter after it had been wounded. Both fangs had acted, the wound 

 was livid, and similar lines were observed in the course of the absorb- 

 ents. On another occasion, after some unsuccessful attempts to make 

 another individual bite a fowl, a terrier accidentally was wounded in 

 the fleshy part of the fore-arm. The serpent fixed the fangs for an 

 instant in the flesh ; the dog pitifully screaming, jumped and shook it 

 off. A ligature was immediately applied above the elbow, and the dog 

 secured in a cage. It continued for some time whining from pain, 



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