<s& effeBo As two of tbefe cafes came under mj own immcdi4e ob- 

 fervatioog I have detailed them below; from notes carefully taken 

 <Dn the fpot, during the continuanee of the fymptoms, and the exhibi- 

 tion of the remedies tor their relief. To thcfe two cafes I have ad- 

 ded the progrefs and rcfult of an experiments farther corroborative of 

 the dangerous charadcr of tbefe unwelcome vifitors. 



In confequence of the reward offered hf the police, from Iwo i© 

 three hundred fnakes were caught alive, and chiefly by fifhermeii 

 /Who were cither fearkfs or unconfcious of any danger from them. 



Among thofe caught, there appeared ro be a confideriible variety, 

 but far the greater number were of the fpecies Hydrus m^jor and Hydrus 

 gracilis, of both, feveral were very accurately examined by my friei d 

 Mr. Rydee of the Mint, and fome well prepared and prcfervcd fpe« 

 cimens have been lent by him to a gentleman in EngUndo 



From a comparifon of thefe with the defcription given hy Doi^oir 

 Shaw in h;s excellent Zoologyj there can be no doubt as to the charac* 



ter of the fnakes which made their appearance in the Madras river, 



I SHALL in lubftance quote DoQor Shaw's cliara£lenftics. 



HYDRUS MAJOR/ 



JJ, LlviduSj Jafciis dscurrmtibusjujcis, Jquamis hexagonis abrupU carmatu. 



Its If ngth is mofc than three feet, its colour pale or livid, marked 

 ^brougl ou: ihe whole length of the back by a feries of large tranrvcrfe 

 f mi dec u rent d u Iky bands ° the tailbAnded more deeply or fo as to 

 Chew jefs of the ground colour^ it is much Riiflured at the beginning 

 or place ol the vent, and then widens conr;dera ly towards the tip<, 

 "^vhicL ii obtufeiy poitited J the length of the tail is about four inches 



