Occasional Notes. 
*75 
into the flesh, the anterior teeth causing but minute 
punctures. Knowing the general harmlessness of the 
snake, I paid no attention to the bite beyond wiping the 
blood away — although it smarted rather sharply — until, 
about half-an-hour after, the finger became much swollen 
at the place and distinctly very painful — much more so 
than I was prepared for from the mere fac~t of the wound ; 
and rather as if it had been stung by some of the larger 
wasps. The swelling became no greater, but the pain 
increased, and was only lessened by the application of 
ammonia, and it was not till about four hours afterwards 
that real relief was obtained, though the place was 
tender for a much longer time. 
In the other case, the experience was that of the clerk 
in the Museum, who was bitten on the finger by a young 
specimen of the common frog or mattapi snake (Xenodon 
severus), whose hinder enlarged movable teeth were 
driven deeply into the flesh, with a result similar to that 
described in the case of the other snake. 
Frequently in handling these little harmless snakes, 
one may receive a bite or nip from them, but it is seldom, 
under the circumstances, that they have the chance of 
driving in their specialised hinder maxillary teeth ; and 
the foregoing instances, in which this took place, are 
simply mentioned because a similar painful result has 
never been noticed when the bite has been given by the 
small anterior teeth. 
There can be no question in these cases of a bad state 
of health ; nor considering the amount and degree of 
pain and swelling, can the result be ascribed to the mere 
aceration produced. The whole effe6l seemed to me to 
be due to the fadt that, in these two instances, the small 
