Wichita eagle., 1889-03-22
VENOMOUS REPTILES.
The Astonishiusly Large Ratio of Morta
ilY from Serpcn.ine Venom.

The Astonishiusly Large Ratio of Mortal
ity from Scrpen;ine Venom.
If the published figures are at all ac-
Curate, from twelve TO twenty thou
sand persons die in British India from
snake bite. largely from that of the coora,
which is a serpent of domestic habits. That
the reptile was not long ago exterminated
from ali inhabited localities, says writer
in the Cincinnati Commercial-Gazette, is
owing TO the fact that 1t is worshiped by
many of the natives. Even to-day in Mals-
bar Hill, the most fashionable European
quarter Of Bombay, short tune played on
q musical instrument rarely fails TO bring a
cobra out Of some hol9 or creyice, for native
veneration is too much for English caution.
The natives are the chief sufferers from
this folly Very few Englishmen have
been bitten, for they do not walk on. bare
footed, and usually take cane 10 poke the
grass through which they walk. We be-
lieve only four or five whites Of proInE
nence have been bitten By poisonous
snakes in India since the opening
Of the present century, and one OF
these was midshipman on a yes
sci in the Bay of Bengal One of the dead
ly hydriad9, or water snakes, had been
fished up, and the unfortunate youth
handled it without knowing that 1t was
veuomous. Had the Hindoos exercised
common sense, there would now be few
cobras outsides OF the jungies- Martinique
and the neighboring islands Of St Lscla
each report a mortality from serpenune
venom rivaliDg that of linda, for each Of these
islands is overrun with the fer dc lance.
fiercely aggressive viper, Which has the
popularity of giving birth 70 sixtY little
snakes at once.
African explorers have their troubles
with snakes, but they award the palm OF
daug ger not TO them nor to the hons or
leopards, but 70 the fierce wild buffalo bulls.
During Prof. Drumnonds recent journey
10 Lake Eyassa two Of his follow
ers were tossed by one OF these savage
creatures, and II was almost miracle tbgi
one Of the wounded men survived the IN
luries 20 his shoulders and rios. TIE puf
adder. an apparently sluggish creature, re
sembEog n bulid, though not in rs
gorgeous colors, the horrible black and
clumsy cottounoutbed noccasius OF our
Southern svazps, "a. pleasant trek OF
burying itself In the leaves and rnoss ard OF
striking oackv ard at any person WHO hap
pens 70 come near Il TIE naia haze. q Srst
cousin Of the Indian cobra but more AZ
gressive and irritable, and the rnaDSa,
which runs down It's victims. are thu prioct-
pal remaining poisonous serpents Of Afy1cA
There are green, black and fsns-oolored
nambas. the last mentioned being Often
crested The nsrbas sometimes reach .
leo 9Th Of twelve ses:- and are known 70 have
chased horser1an for mics TIER bite IS
almost certaia death
A survey Of the serpsntine kingdom es-
tablishes tie fsct II al TIE E0zt po.soco1s
81 axes are AFRAID CO human beE,gs- The
caief except1on ara The mazda. TIE n1-a !
haze and the great opasophagzs eazpS, or
Of Bugr1&s TEs creature,
WHICH rivals the r-an - II Asngth- has "a |
expa.Ss1g bead bike tee cobra and nasa |
Ia e, bat differs from 5oa1 N sore acatusD- |
ical particulars and a.so - sse = al .tst !; |
Is . csraibsI. bTfug p<-seIpzisy GO eI6er |
snakes One o! tkeaa CEASED . Barrn&z u
iae xoo6s few Teays aga TIE aas ran, |
zs1 taOagkt 20 escape b. kwiaa asizg across |
3 nz-Yox stream 70 hzs kerror % rescA~ /.
ing tie farther bank BE found TIA. Jas srAzs /
a. creased ahead Of hin In ii. Despair Ae 1
tore a his tartan and tarsx Z, ~ tie rep !
tie Tie later w@s c6gsr1ng cnOarh 70 70 |
for the Ee1Le rzy zAa waste tls vezoza i
sraa i, lie gsac E.e4a sAlae asskAag s.a e.
zpe
TIE r121a2S arc principally fc2od u /
Sa.a- ;noogh they exas. 10 sSese exiea, -
lar ro-ie IS ZaoE52r aa6 kax essa lars