FAUNA AND FLORA
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Reptiles and Amphibians. These are also well represented in Hong Kong, especially by snakes, lizards and frogs. Others include various terrapins and turtles, the Common Indian Toad and the Chinese Newt. Among the Colony's snakes those most commonly encountered are harmless and death from snake-bite is extremely rare. Excluding certain rear-fanged species not dangerous to man, the venomous land snakes which occur are the Banded Krait, the Many-banded Krait, Macclelland's Coral Snake, the Indian or Chinese Cobra, the Hamadryad (King Cobra), and the White- lipped Pit Viper (Bamboo Snake). All of the several sea snakes known to occur within or near the Colony's territorial waters are venomous, but fortunately it is not the nature of these reptiles to attack bathers.
Butterflies and Moths. One hundred and seventy nine species of butterflies, belonging to nine families, have been recorded for the Colony in a check list published in 1953. The number of moths is far greater but no comprehensive list of local species has ever been published. The attractive and predominantly tropical butter- flies known popularly as 'swallow-tails' are conspicuous by a number of species. The magnificent Atlas Moth, with a wing-span from about seven to nine inches, is fairly common. Another very fine insect, also fairly common here, is the Moon Moth; this has a wing-span of about four to six inches, has swallow-tailed wings, and is mostly soft silvery green in colour.
Local Societies. There are two local societies concerned with the Colony's fauna. One is The Hong Kong Natural History Society whose objects are to facilitate and encourage the study of natural history, particularly in Hong Kong; the other is The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society whose main objects are to facilitate and encourage the study of the birds of Hong Kong.
FLORA
It is not possible to make any true distinction between the trees of Hong Kong and those of the adjacent southern part of Kwang- tung Province. Among the principal trees found in the Colony are pine, Chinese banyan and camphor, to which, since the area came under British administration, have been added a large number of