MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 2 : >S 



Darwin and my daughter was riding with me, my mounted 

 orderly in attendance. The orderly dismounted, and the 

 snake after biting the dog went into a hollow place, from 

 which he came out and would have bitten the man had he 

 not dispatched him with his sabre. 



" My daughter on seeing the specimen I now send you, 

 at once recognised it as similar to the one which she saw at 

 Port Darwin, the bright orange patch under the neck occur- 

 ing in both cases. 



The dog died in about 3 hours, after every care and the 

 application of the Hypodermic Syringe by the Surgeon. 

 The Natives here sa}^ the Oph. Elaps is not common ; 

 several of the intelligent and elderly men say, they have 

 seen much larger specimen ; one respectable man say he saw 

 one a fathom lager than the one I send you which would be 

 19 feet. 



" Enclosed is the Mate's receipt for the Jar, which 1 trust 

 will arrive safely as Captain Joyce promises to take charge 

 of it. I also send you a small Python and a very venomous 

 Snake termed the " Tedong Matahari, *' said to attack men. 



B. D. 

 Klang, 20th November, 1878. 



THE OPRTOPHAGUS ELAPS 



A correspondent states that the existence of this reptile 

 in the Peninsula was proved in the early part of 1876, when 

 a detachment of the Buffs were quartered at Kwala Kangsa. 

 A specimen was killed and brought into the camp by some 

 Malays; it was examined and identified by Surgeon-Major 

 Davis. The Malays described it as the most formidable 

 snake they are acquainted with, and related instances in 

 which it had been known to chase men who had disturbed 

 it, even taking to the water after them if they plunged into 

 a river to escape from it. The Malay name given to the 

 specimen caught at Kwala Kangsa was Tedong Selah ( SalaJb- 

 Favre.) There is an allusion to it in the Marong Mahawangsa 

 (see Colonel Low's translation, Journal India Archipelago 

 vol. III. page 265 ) and the peculiar characteristic of this 

 snake, namely that it will actually pursue a retreating foe, 

 is introduced into the legend. "The boa feeling himself 

 " rather getting the worst of it, suddenly stirred, and shook 



