132 
THE THANATOPHIDIA OF INDIA. 
The poison of this snake is also very virulent; it was weak, 
had been many days in captivity, living in fresh water, but with¬ 
out food. The head is exceedingly small, and the fangs almost 
imperceptible In its native element I should imagine it is, 
notwithstanding its small jaws, very dangerous. I have never 
met with a case of bite of the Hydro phis in the human being, 
hut I think there can be no doubt that if a man were bitten 
by a well-grown snake, and in the water, where the snake 
would be active and vigorous, the danger would be as great as 
though he were bitten by a Cobra on the land. Few accidents 
occur ; the boatmen know the danger and avoid them. 
Mr. Gfaliffe, as will be seen hereafter, has been informed of 
one case, fatal in one hour and a half, which occurred some¬ 
where in the vicinity of the Salt Water Lake. 
March 26///, 1871. 
A Hydrophis cyanocincta , caught in a net at the Sandheads 
by Captain Lord, Pilot service, on the 23rd March, was sent to 
me on the 26th, in ajar of salt-water, living and active. 
Experiment No. 15. 
3.5 p.m. —A Fowl bitten in the thigh : the snake held firmly. 
In handling it, it dropped from the jar. During the efforts to 
catch it, which occupied about a minute and a half, the Fowl 
was dead. The blood removed from the body coagulated into 
a firm clot after death. The death of this Fowl was very 
rapid; it died in the man’s hand, and he said he did not feel a 
struggle. 
Experiment No. 16. 
4.4.—Bit another Fowl on the thigh. In forty seconds the 
Fowl was insensible, but recovered and limped about lame. 
4.13.—Partially recovered, but is still lame, but looks drowsy ; 
nodding its head. 4.14.—Crouching; beak resting on ground. 
4.18.—Very drowsy; head quite fallen over. Is almost quite 
paralysed. 4.22.—Almost complete muscular paralysis; con¬ 
vulsions. 4.23.—Convulsed. 4.24.—Dead. 
The blood in this case coagulated firmly after death. 
March 21th, 1871. 
Experiment Ho. 17. 
A Fowl was bitten in the leg by the Hydrophis cyanocincta. 
It was taken out of the water and made to grasp the Fowl’s 
thigh. It bit fiercely, and would not relax its hold for some 
time; when it did, it got loose in the verandah, and then, 
though exceedingly active, it was able to make very little 
onward progress, owing to the absence of abdominal scut as. It 
was then killed, being still vigorous and lively. This seems to 
show that the sea-snakes are not always so delicate as repre¬ 
sented. It had lived in a small jar of unchanged salt-water for 
four days. 
The Fowl ciied in rather less than twenty minutes. 
I am indebted to Captain Lord, of the pilot brig Foam, for a 
living specimen of Enhydrina, captured in a net at the Sand- 
heads. It was sent up to me in a jar of salt-water, and had 
been in that jar at least four days, when I tried the following 
experiments. 
The snake was lively and vigorous notwithstanding the con¬ 
finement in unchanged sea-water. It was a female, two feet 
ten inches in length ; being young, the transverse dark bars 
marking its body were more distinct than in older specimens. 
August 1th, 1871. 
Present, Dr. Fayrer and Dr. J. Anderson, Curator of the 
Indian Museum. 
Experiment No. 18. 
A Fowl was bitten in the thigh by an Enhydrina valalcadyen, 
two feet ten inches in length, at 2.47 p.m. 
2.48._The Fowl is drowsy, nods its head, but is still on its 
legs. 2.49.—Crouched ; head falling forward ; resting point of 
beak on the ground. 2.50.—Convulsed. 2.54.—Dead—in 
seven minutes. 
Experiment No. 19. 
Another Fowl bitten in the thigh by the same snake at 
2.59 p.m. 
3.10.—Drowsy. 3.12.—Crouching; head falling forwards; 
beak on ground. 3.15.-—Fallen over ; in convulsions. 3.16.— 
Convulsed. 3.20.—Still convulsed. 3.21.—Dead—in twenty- 
two minutes. 
The blood of both these Fowls coagulated firmly when re¬ 
moved from the body after death. 
I am also indebted to Captain Lord, of the Foam, for two 
specimens of Hydropliidce, captured in nets at the Sandheads; 
one on the 4th, the other on the 5th of August; since then 
they have been confined in bottles of fresh water, and are still 
active and vigorous. No. 1. One, one foot four and a half inches 
in length, is a young Enhydrina valakadyen, beautifully marked 
with distinct black bars. No. 2. The other, three feet two inches 
in length, is Hydrophis stricticollis. 
August §th, 1871. 
Present, Dr. Fayrer and Dr. J. Anderson, Curator of the 
Indian Museum. 
Experiment No. 20. 
No. 1 was made to bite a Fowl in the thigh at 1.10 p.m. 
1.17.—Drowsy; droops, and has crouched. 1.20.—Point of 
beak resting on ground. 1.21.—Convulsed. 1.31.—Occasional 
convulsive movements ; is quite insensible. 1.35.—Dead—in 
twenty-five minutes. 
Experiment No. 21. 
The same snake was made to bite another Fowl in the thigh 
at 1.30 p.m. 
1.4 7. —Apparently only slightly drowsy. 1.55.—Yery slightly 
affected. Bitten again in the thigh by same snake. 2.15.— 
Drowsy; nods its head. 2.30.—In the same state. 2.32.— 
Convulsed. 2.35.—Dead—in forty-eight minutes. 
The snake had evidently partly exhausted its poison in the 
first bite. 
Experiment No. 22. 
No. 2 was made to bite a Fowl in the thigh at 1.20 p.m. 
1.29.—Head drooping; crouched. 1.32.— Convulsed. 1.36. 
—Insensible and convulsed. 1.40.—State unchanged. 1.44.— 
Dead—in twenty-four minutes. 
Experiment No. 23. 
No. 2 bit a Fowl in the thigh at 1.33 p.m. 1.35.—Drowsy ; 
crouching. 1.40.—State unchanged. 1.45.—Head fallen over, 
resting on point of beak. 1.48.—Convulsed. 1.50.—Still con¬ 
vulsed. 1.55.—Dead—in twenty-two minutes. 
These experiments clearly demonstrate the very poisonous 
nature of the Ilydrophidce : all the specimens were young. They 
had been captured and confined in unchanged water, two of 
them in fresh water, from four to six days before they were 
experimented with. Their heads and fangs are very small, 
and the quantity of poison very much less than in the land 
snakes. The bites were barely perceptible, and apparently caused 
no pain. I observed that none of the bitten Fowls indicated 
any symptoms of paralysis of the bitten limb. A lethargy 
seemed to creep slowly over them, which gradually passed into 
complete unconsciousness, preceded by paralysis and loss of co¬ 
ordinating power of muscles. Convulsions follow, and death 
soon supervenes. 
The blood of all the bitten birds coagulated firmly after 
death, as is the case in death from poisoning by the land 
colubrine snakes. 
