In the same issue the writer described one which was caught in the telegraph wire of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company. One of the cables was being raised, and when it came to the surface, the snake was found coiled tightly round it. _Hydrophis_ was here exercising his prehensile powers, not understanding the reason of the violent motion. Snakes, as has been already affirmed, are not restricted in their acrobatic achievements; so that even sea snakes, not naturally either climbers or crawlers, can do both on an occasion. The more interesting question regarding Dr. Stradling’s cable climber is, was it a true _Pelamis_, or one of the _Hydrophidæ_ at all? If so, it was more likely to be an entirely distinct species from those of the oriental seas. Either Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope would be far too southward for their range, they being essentially tropical. When Panama comes to be severed by water communication, some enterprising _Pelamis_ or _Enhydrina_ may find its way through, and get down even to Santos; but at present, as Dr. Stradling did not _see_ the snake, but only _heard_ of it, the evidence of the presence of _Hydrophidæ_ on the eastern coast of South America cannot be fully established. [Illustration: Natural size. Same magnified. Sea snakes’ scales. From the _Thanatophidia_.] A further facility to their agile and graceful movements in the water are their smooth, non-imbricated, or only slightly imbricated scales. These, though mostly hexagonal, and laid side by side, different from those of land snakes, yet vary much in size and form; and the head shields particularly are so abnormal, that, as Günther affirms, you can tell a sea snake at once by them (see illustrations, chap. xviii.). To distinguish a pelagic from a fresh-water snake is, however, far easier than to distinguish species among themselves. They present great varieties of form and colour, but the transitions are very gradual, and the female is generally larger than the male, and sometimes of a different colour, which adds to the difficulty. They are all viviparous, and produce their young in the water, where the little ones are at once able to take care of themselves, and feed on small fish or molluscs. The full-grown _Hydrophidæ_ feed on fish corresponding with their own dimensions, and swallowed head foremost. Even spiny fish are managed by them, notwithstanding that they have a smaller jaw than most land snakes. Being killed by the poison of the bite on being caught, Günther explains, the muscles of the fish are relaxed, and the prey being commenced at the head, the armature does not interfere, but folds back flat as the fish is gradually drawn into the jaws.