NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 
Witu ILLustRAtTIONs. 
SNAKE POISONS. 
Captain Dovetas, r.n.z., H. M.’s Resident at Sélangor, has just 
furnished me with conclusive proof that the oft-repeated dictum 
that “the nervous system of a poison snake is proof against the 
specific action of its own poison” [Cassell N. H., vol. 4, p. 45] is 
incorrect. He recently irritated a cobra until, in striking at the 
stick with which he was touching it, the snake inflicted a well- 
marked wound on its own back. In ten minutes it was dead. 
The same gentleman informs me that he recently captured an 
ophiophagus elaps (hamadryad) measuring 18 feet 6 inches! To- 
lerably large for a venomous snake, and that the most aggressive 
of any known. 
A propos of snakes, residents would do well to provide them- 
selves with the remedy which Mr. Knaaas has discovered—perman- 
ganate of soda. There is unmistakable evidence that it has saved 
life. Internal doses of strong spirit should be administered every 
five minutes after the permanganate has been injected into the 
wound, 
Any reader of this Journal who knows of a case of death from 
snake bite within the last twenty-five years (excepting the case of 
the Malay who mistook a cobra for an eel and put his finger in its 
mouth) will greatly oblige by communicating the facts to me. 
NBD: 
PYTHON’S EGG.* 
The species of Python whose egg is the subject of illustration is 
known as python reticulatus from the beautiful diamond-shaped 
*Tho three coloured plates presented with this Number of the Journal are the gift of 
N. B. Dunnys, Esq., Pu. D.--Ep. 
