THE GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING
Japanese Water-Pipit, Swinhoe's Black-faced Spoon- bill, Lesser Whistling Teal, and Yellow-necked Bittern (J. C. E. Britt); the Black Tailed Godwit (A. St. G. Walton), and Von Schrenck's Little Bittern (A. G. Downey).
Two of these records are of special interest; the occurrence of a Grass-Warbler so far South must be regarded as accidental, as all previous records have been confined to the Province of Chihli. The Chinese Pipit, hitherto confused with the very similar Richards Pipit, has now been shown to be the species which breeds on the low grassy hills of the Colony during the summer. The majority of these birds winter in Hainan and the Philippines but a few remain in Hong Kong in suitable localities.
Reptiles
Thirty-one species of land snakes, about six sea- snakes, fifteen lizards and several chelonians (tortoises, turtles and terrapins) are known to inhabit the Colony and the adjacent sea.
Of the land snakes, only six are sufficiently poisonous to be dangerous to man. Most familiar of the latter is the little bright green Bamboo Snake, the bite of which, however, has never been known to prove fatal to an adult. It is a pitviper, having a distinct pit or indentation between the eye and the nostril, and is one of our commonest snakes and a photograph of it can be found opposite page 235. Another common poisonous snake is the well-known Indian Cobra, a bite from which is likely to prove fatal if prompt treatment is not given. Fortunately bites from this snake in
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