1932-02-26 — Page 7

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HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1932.

COUNCIL MEETING. ALARM AT SWATOW. DEATH OF FORMER SNAKES OF HONG KONG

SEQUEL TO ANTI-JAPANESE RIOTS.

$20,000 TO DEFRAY EXPENSES.

At a meeting of the Legislative Council: yesterday, the Attorney- Conoral moved the ârsi railing of A Bill to provide for and re- gulate Industrial and Reformatory Schools" This was seconded by the Colonial Secretary and duly passed its first reading.

The following

Bills paared through their final stages:-

"A Bill to amend the Po Leung Kuk Incorporation Ordinance, 1803,"

الله ملل ما يلي

"A Bill to amend the Chinese Temples Ordinarios, 1928,"

With regard to "A Bill to amend- the Foreshores and Ses Bed Ordi- nanos, the Attorney-General moved that the second reading should nut be taken. yesterday.

Estate Duty...

The Council, on the mution of the Attorney-General, then went into Committee in confection with the "Bill to amend and consolidate the law relating to Estate Duty" The Attorney-General said that the Standing Law Committee bad ro commended, eortniu typographient -akanges and also the re-construction of clause 21 of the Bill to meet the representations which had been made on behalf of many Chinese by the Hon. Dr. Kotewall The Committen recommended that the

FEVERISH PREPARATION BY MILITARY,

CITY OF RUMOURS—AND

SAND-BAGS.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

RESIDENT.

THE. LATE MR. }. E. WARNER.

Nowa has boon received in the Colony of the sudden death in England of Mr. J. E. Warner. Ho will be mourned by all who know him..

of

THE COBRA AND OTHER VENOMOUS SPECIES.

INSTRUCTIVE LECTURE BY PROF. HERKLOTS.

61

M

Bolow we give the second portion, how he could get injected with lecture on "Snakes of Hong venom. This snake is known local SWATOW, February 2, He came here in 1919 as Private Kong, given on Wednesday, ovaningly as the Asherman snake, tar yu To all outward appearances the Secretary to Sir Roginald Stubbsto the Hong Kong University kung, and is to be found occasional Chinese here again view the situa and in 1922 joined the staff of St. Molical Society by Prof. G. A. C. ly in finddy felda and mangrove. tion with apprehension consequent Stephan's College. In 1925 he loft Herklots. The third and final por swamps nent, the sea. Rather a upon the renewal of hostilities in the Colony, to its very great loss, tion will appear in our issue to beautiful small spake of two or Shanghai. As a result, I have seen and later he became Deputy Gomorrow:

serhaps morn foot in length, a rich pornops quite a big number of people loas-eznor of the Borstal Institution" The Colubridae is a very large brown in colour with a bright ing for the country, and I hear near Rochester, and Governor-De-family indeed; I shall avoid family orange stripe down each side of the more will leave for Hong Kong and signato of the Borstal Institution characteristics and deal with those body. An aquatic and viviparous Canton to-morrow,

in the Isle of Wight.

of its main sub divisions. The species. family is divided into three parallel

(*) Próteroglyphs This group of serios

the Colubridae contains the ma- jority of the venomous and deadly speciós of the world. It is some- times divided into two sub-families, the Elaphinae with dylindrical taîla, wad the Hydrophinac, the snakes with flattened tails. All re extremely poisonous, many deadly and most are viviparous, Two genera of Elaphinae are found in southern Kwangtung-the Cobras and Kraits respectively.

ย Sandbags and Trenches,

During his $3 years here, ha on denred himself to many, and his influence with young" Chinese was something in which a close friend and follow-Englishman can feel a vicarious pride.

The last two days www soldiers busy handling sand bags. More and more are being placed where In his own person and life out the military consider points of here, he was the best type of British vantage should hostilitice breakpropaganda, though his Humanity. took no narrow view. His idealism ont. On the main road "one" can

was never tedious or overbearing, clearly see sand begs scattered but in his quiet, cultured and so about as much as to say we ale steady feeling for the best thinga

viable way be communicated prepared." A large number are to in life. by found along the "Kialet son front where innumerable trenches structed. and dug-outs have just been con- All those preparations only serve to alarm the people who naturally jump to conclusions.

Saturday afternoon when

A great panic was used on. truck. loads of 'kand: bags were brought down the northern district. It seemed to the papalace that #ght- ing was imminent, and therefore the shops closed with some of the inhabitants shifting "quarters.

1

THIEF CAUGHT.

STOLEN ARTICLES FROM

CITY OFFICES.

2

קיי

I

The Cobra.

BCB-

are

The Cobras, Vaja: I might say much about the south Chine black cabra. Aaja naja atra, in fact it would be possible, almost, to give a lecture on this species stone so

(a) Aglypha in which all the teeth

are solid. none grooved: (b) Opistoglypha, in which one or more of the posterior maxi: lary teeth are grooved. (c) Proteroglypha in which the anterior maxillary teeth are

· grooved or perforated, " (a) Alyplia: The sub-family, the Colubrinae, contains the vast majority of snakes all of which are non-venomous, few of which grow as long as 6 or 7 foot and very low attain 10 foot. Local spesies in clule Putas mucasus, the large put- onale nf S.E. Asia, which growi to a length of over 7 foot. It is a morose and savage snake but is a useful snake as its food largely consists of rats. The local name is Shui lat sehr. Many of the Cobra shall have to summarise the story. out a sorica of larcenies as various really atories about this snake.

How a Chinese managed to carry atories ong hoars in Hong Kong are The local cobra, closely related to its Indian namesake, is common in offices in the city, was revealed by could speak at length about this Hong Kong and the Territories. Detective Sergeant Fitchos yester species for I know it well but there Well-known districts from which I day when he prosecuted the man is no time for great detail. It is have had specimens include Victoria This morning a Japanese Con- the Rents Office of Mr. Ng Wab, its hies is long, deep and loud more loy Peninsula, Stonecutters Island, for theft of a clock belonging to dark brown with black markings, Fenk, High West, Aberdeen, Stan- Municipality and enquired of the aular representativo called at the the owner of Pedder Building. like a snore than his,

Kowloon foot hills and Tai Po. It Mayor the reason for the great Podder Building with the clock The other rat sinko Pyae korro to black but it nearly always

The man was seen issuing from.

varias" in colour from pale, brown "exhibition" of sand bags every under his arm The revised Bill had where, at the same time pointing belonging to Mr. Ng Waa's office is more slender and not as long as ticulated body markings of white.

is also common"in Hong Kong; it an office assistant boon published in the last Gazette out that these precautions were unrecognising the clock, stopped the its relative, in colour & uniform The hood is always well developed and copies were also in the hands necessary as there is no fixed, policy maa for investigations, following elite brown. It grows to a length and the spectacle generally 30: A of motabers.

of the Japanes army and navy for which he handed over the culprit of about a foot and is fond of treespecimen much over 3 feet is very The revised Bill was, then sued out, furthermore, that the

an invasion of Swatow. Ho point to the police.

and has been named by the Canrare in Hong Kong. Generally, sidered in committee and was read placing of sandbags in prominent revealed many articles which had young-jump over tree snake. It then the adult; the young are in- A search at the house of the man tonese in consequente quor schue young cobras are much more savage. a third time and passed.

localities would only tend to frigh-recently been reported stolen from likes the company of its own species experienced, the older ones know ten the ignorant masses; and when different offices. These were: Four and in captivity tangled masses of that it is wiser to move away from request to pictures of oil tankers stolen from this species, festooned over branches, muri The large black cobra at pre- have them removed, the Mayor the AF.C: offices, a mirror from may be seen in almost every zoo in sent at the Aquarium was caught by replied the matter was one over an office in Pedder Building, a vase the world. Much more desile than one of my collectors at Stanley; it which he had no control but that belonging to broker of China mucous, I have never heard one was so fierce when it arrived at the therennent. " he would consult the General Building, a pair of gloves, an over-hiss. Like P. mucosus, it has a University that it frightened me coat, and a case containing a pen definite ridge along the back sugand, lest it should cscape and do and pencil, the property of an as- geating starvation but being always damage I seat it straight away to sistant at the Japanese Consulate present.

the Aquarium where it is fed well Goacral in Prince's Building.

and looked after.

BI, with the amendments recom- mended by them, should be reprint ed according to the Standing

• Orders, and be substituted for the Bill which had been passed a

second time.

The Council then adjourned until

March 10

Those Present.

His Excellency the, Governor (Sir William Poel, KCMG, K.B.E.) presided, and there were also pre- -sant;--

Ji

The General Officer Commanding (Major-General J. W. Bandilands, C.B., O.M.O., D.SO.).

The Colonial Secretary (Hon.

W. T. Southorn, C.M.G.).

Japanese Enquiry.

the Japanese made

by the defendant was to carry about Detective Sergeant Fitches anid that a favourite method employed.

Caught in University Compound, "The commonest species of snake

posesses narrow circular or re-

spoolt.

The "Röds," News concerning the "Reds" is hand we learn they have been caus scanty, but from meagre reports to

The local name is farn tsarn t'au, ing great havoc to the people at

meaning the head of a wooden rice It is a snake well-known a chit book with what appeared to in the Colony, Natrix piscator, is to the Chinese who value its gall Yun Tin (Taipo), It is indicated be a few used cheques, the idea in this group,-Cantonese name highly-the gall bladder must be Mr.they are advancing on Chae-AR being to give the impression that shui sehr. It frequente paddy fields taken out of the snake whilst it is

which is close to Swatow. They he was an office messenger. are a desperate lot and the worst

and lives on frogs, fish and crabi."Jalive; I have watched the operation many happen should they close fur-hard labour was passed on the de-marked with rud and with black; it flesh is also anteh.

Sentences" totalling ove months' In colour green or green brown on more than one occasion. fendant.

The Attorney-General (Hon. Mr. C. G. Alabaster, K.C., OBE.). "The Secretary for Chinese Affairs (Hon. Mr. E. R. Halifax).

The Colonial Treasurer (Hon. Mr. Edwin Taylor).

Hon. Mr. H. T. Creasy, C.P.E. (Director of Public Works).

Hon. Mr. E. D. C. Wolfe, C.M.G.

(Inspector General of Police).

Hon. Commander G. F. Hole, R.N. (Retired) (Harbour Master). Hon. Dr. A. R. Wollington (Director of Medical and Sanitary Services).

Hon. Mr. W. E, L. Shenton.. Hon Mr. R H. Kotowall, Q.M.G., LL.D.

Hoa. Mr. J. J. Paterson.

ther in...

I hor General Las Yong Kiang has in vain requested. General Chang to move some of his troops (which is 25 miles by rail. from to districta around Chaochowfu Swatow) to intercept the Reds." I Chaochowiu the city government troops number only 2,000, and form

3 YOUTHS COMMITTED TO SESSIONS.

A

Part of the Third Division, Chang SEQUEL TO ARMED ROBBERY naturally prefers to retain his troops bore to resist any posible Japanese aggression, and there the

natter stands,

"Japanese Gunboats at Swatow."

The

grows to about 3 'fect. Another common anake is Natri solata,

When a Cobra Strikes. wong t'au schr, yellow-headed snake, so called because its head and neck In the Cobra one or two of the aro yellow or yellow brown; the anterior maxillary teeth on each rest of the slender body is speckled side are grooved and serve as venom and streaked with greys and brownsducts; if a fang is broken off an- I caught one of these in the Univer-ether speedily grows to replaes it,- aity compound one day.

this is true, for all snakes.

་་

The

A bright green grase anake some-venom glands are modified salivary eating one of these. I sent home situated at the angles of the jaws, times met with is called Coluber glands and in this snake and in delacouri. I once saw a magpie most other venomous species are

lads were charged with having com The case in which three Chinese

mitted an armed robbery at 11, Saigon Street, second floor, on two January 29, last was brought to a conclusion before Mr. J. A. Fraser at Kowloon Magistracy yesterday According to report repro. when the defendunts were dent in your issue of the 16th, it next Criminal Sessions. duced by your Canton correspon mitted to stand their trial at the

com-

Tho

specimens to the British Every one knows the characteristic museum last year and I received striking attitude of the cobre, how the trustees. Apparently our fair. just before striking, the head back a special letter of thanks from it Bits úp like an inverted ly common green grass snake is as withdrawn several inches; species that had only just been desthe cobra hisses often before it cribed before from Biam and the strikes. The hiss is short sharp was stated that "three JapaneseDetective Inspector Fallón prose-evidence that it existed also in make the hise is of, a lower tone authorities were delighted to receive and high pitched but in an old Hon. Mr. J. P. Bragu.

ganhonts steamed into the Harbour cute: (Swatow) last Wednesday, without Hon. Mr. S. W. Tso, 0.1.E., firat informing

It will be remembered that at

Hong Kong.

than that of a youngster, tho Municipal about 1.10 p.m. on the day in ques-

Amuther harmless local anake in strike is made with the mouth open LL.D.

Authorities." As your own cortion the three lads went up to the ycodon aubeinstus, one of the very and the recovery after the strike is Hon. Mr. C. G. 8. Mackie,

respondent here I must repudiate second floor at the address men-

few local banded snakes that are along a downward and backward that fulse report.

The actual factationed above, One of them carried Elaphe occur hero.

not venomous, A few specics, of survo, If therefore a fang pone- nre these: The Wednesday in questa revolver while the other two were

One is Erates the flesh the recovery move- Mr. RAO North (Deputy which day only one Japanese des tife inmates of the Rat into a cubi sa sok sin on account of the fact bedded.

tion happened to be the 10th, on armed with knives. They pushed radiata, this is known locally as ment results in it being deeply im- troyer arrived in port with food cle and then ransacked the place, longitudinally down its back and to mate for life; young cobras oc- that the black markings arranged Cobras live in pairs and are said supplies for the crews of the other after which they went away. two destroyers and for the other An alarm was raised after the sides have the appearance of 3asionally enter houses; the old Japanese nationals. But the same intruders had left the flat and knotted strings. Harmless, though ones live in disused rat boles and Votes to the total of $33,633 in man-of-war steamed out again on chass in which Mr. Mit Singh, a locally believed to be venomous, this the like. The hunting is done by connection with the 1931 Estimates the 12th

This was published in police reservist, took part, ensued, and its relative, . tacntura, hothight (not largely by smell as in and 824,780 in connection with your paper of the 18th, So far, which eventually resulted in the grow to about 5 feet and are vary most anakosy and is carried out in ourront Estimates were approved thera has been no occasion on which arrest of the first defendant The yellow or yellow brown body colour The local cobra prefers warm flesh by a meeting of the Finance Com-three Japaness warships arrived other two men were arrested later with black markings. Those are 8 to frogs and lizards nad thinks beautiful snakes, being of a general the early morning and evening. mittee which followed the meeting simultaneously. of the Legislative Council.

The biggest item in connection peaceful man, utterly devoid of any the first defendant at the time of others but they are not so common. The Consul is a particularly quantity of jewellery was found on which occur locally; there are also by police officers, but although t

non-venomous species of Colubringe with the 1839 Estimates was eno intention to aggravate the situa- his arrest, nothing was found on of $20,000 in connection with nat tion; likewise the naval comman- the other two men.

Hon. Mr. T, N. Chau.

Clerk of Council).

Finance Committee.

year's anti-Japanese riota. The de-dors tails were as follows:-

Allowances to Police Re-

Allowances to Volunteers... Expenditure by Naval Authorities.

$2,002 204

2,036

Expenditure by Military

Authorities

2,237

Travelling Expenses in

cluding motor bas and ent hire

7,808

guards, meals and re

· 3,067-

Boned and lodginga for

freshments

Sundry expenses Contingencies

Furthermore, there is no obligation (bound by treaty) to give previous notice of any arrival of warships. For this reneon the varanular papers referred to the British as being uncivilized like the Japaness!! because H.M.S. Vority put into port without pre- vious warning to the authorities

NAVAL APPOINTMENTS TO HONG KONG.

COMDR, CURTIS AND LT. COMDR, SQUANCE GOING HOME,

Commander Curtis leaves for England at the beginning of April.

The Naval Intelligence. Offer,

Commander J. E. Bisamere, 408 Lieut-Commander H 8. Bquanco, D.8.0., has been appointed Staff 19.79 is also leaving Hong Kong and is Officer to Commodore Walker, vice

boing relieved by Lieut-Comman. Commander F. O. Curtis $10,000 der G. J. M. Lang,

(Continued on previous column.)

Venomous Species:

Naja hannah: A fairly common nothing of climbing a tree l

The King Cobra or Hamadryand, shake in Southern Kwangtung and is well known at Canton. I have. rio authentic record of a specimen The rest of the Hong Kong makes from Hong Kong or the Territories about which I shall speak this even- dad therefors need not say much ing are venomous,

about this species. A larger make Opistoglypha. One or more of than the black cobra, 6-12 feet when the back maxillary teeth grooved, full size. There is one 15' 3" in the One family Homalopsinae, with Baffles Museum, Bingapore, the re- Brhydris, chinensis as its repre- ford is 18' 4" from Siam in 1993. sentative, is to be found locally. A suske-eating species of a general These snakes need not be feared by brown body colour with a much. man since the poison is not strong smaller hood than the black cobra. nor is it available in large quan-eputed to attack man at sight but are situated so far back as to render tion is inise, I have seen no case on flitias and the small poison fangs it is almost certain that the reputa- it diffoult for the snake to bite a record of which such a story is re- man. In fact unless a man pushad ported though ons meets with it his finger into the anaka's mouth every month in soms... and down 15's thebat 1. don't see magazine or thriller.

shilling

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