SERPENTS 
“ Oh yes,” I replied, ‘‘ and glad I shall he to get the 
creature.” 
My visitor looked very straight at me. “ Do you mean to 
say that you ever expected to get a serpent of that size ? ” 
‘'You will excuse me, but I must say I had as good a 
right to offer £500 for such a serpent as the author of the 
letter describing such a monster had to publish the 
account of it.” 
“ Well, all I can say is, that your letter did me a very 
great deal of mischief, and warmed me up considerably; in 
fact, I had to leave the place in consequence. I only wrote 
to my friend as a joke, but the matter ended very seriously 
for me,” and without further remark he departed. 
REMARKS UPON SNAKE POISONING. 
The constant supply of instances of the occurrence of 
death from snake bites, and the continued reference to 
the wonderful recoveries by the application of innumer- 
able remedies, or so-called antidotes, form an everlasting 
source of contention, and give rise to endless disputes. 
This cannot be regarded as anything very remarkable, 
considering the extensive range this extremely difficult 
subject has, and the multiplicity of circumstances and 
varied nature of the matter for thought and study that 
are frequently presented by a host of witnesses %uJiose 
evidence and testimony aj)]} ear from time to time undoubted, 
cts they luould he u'pon almost any other of our human affairs. 
But the matter under consideration requires a more strict 
and careful inquiry, which can only be fully made by those 
who have by actual practice become acquainted with the 
subject. 
There is a certain longing or desire not too quickly to 
abolish and banish from our thoughts a long-established 
O O 
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