Cantor relates that in Assam an officer met with several young Hamadryads which were being watched over by their mother. The latter turned towards its enemy, who took to his heels with all speed, pursued by the terrible reptile. The course taken led to a river, which the fugitive did not hesitate to swim in order to gain the opposite bank, hoping thus to make good his escape; all, however, to no purpose. The snake still pursued him, and the officer saved himself only by a stratagem. He dashed his turban on the ground; the snake threw itself upon it and savagely bit it several times, thus giving the officer time to reach a place of safety. Cantor’s experiments show that the venom of the Hamadryad is extremely rapid in its action. A dog usually dies a quarter of an hour after being bitten, and Nicholson states that he has seen an elephant bitten by a snake of this species die in three hours. (c) =Hemibungarus.= This genus includes several species of snakes of somewhat small size, rarely exceeding 700 millimetres in length, with an elongate, cylindrical body; the head is scarcely distinct from the neck, the pupil round, and the tail short, while the nostril is situate between two nasal shields. The temporal shields are arranged in a single row. The poison-glands sometimes extend into the abdominal cavity. Scales in 13 or 15 rows; 190-260 ventrals, 12-44 subcaudals in 2 rows. Four species belonging to this genus are known:-- (1) _H. calligaster._--2 + 3 temporal scales, 6 supralabials. Colour purple, with black transverse bands separated by narrow white bars; belly and end of tail red; snout yellow, with a black band on the upper lip below the eyes. Total length, 520 millimetres; tail 30. _Habitat_: Philippine Islands. (2) _H. collaris._--No anterior temporal scales. Colour black on the back, with black and red bands on the belly; a yellow collar on the occiput. Total length, 430 millimetres; tail 15. _Habitat_: Philippine Islands. (3) _H. nigrescens._--Scales in 13 rows. A single temporal scale; 218-251 ventrals; 33-44 subcaudals. Belly uniformly red; upper lip yellow in front of and behind the eyes. Total length, 1,100 millimetres; tail 115. _Habitat_: Hills of Western India, from Bombay to Travancore. (4) _H. japonicus._--Scales in 13 rows; 190-216 ventrals; 28-29 subcaudals; temporals 1 + 1. Colour red on the back, with 1-5 black bands crossed by other black bands edged with yellow. Snout and sides of head black. Belly yellow, with large black spots alternating with black transverse bands. Total length, 520 millimetres; tail 40. _Habitat_: Loo Choo Islands. (d) =Callophis.= This genus is characterised by the maxillary bones extending forwards beyond the palatines, with a pair of large poison-fangs, but without other teeth. Head and eyes small, pupils round; nostril between two nasal shields. Body cylindrical, greatly elongate. Scales smooth, in 13 rows; ventrals rounded; subcaudals in 2 rows. Five species are known:--