ENEMIES 121 



sometimes devour each other. In many cases their 

 foes, Hke those of serpents, are legion. Cats, dogs, 

 and many small rodents — especially the celebrated 

 mongoos of India — all wading birds and birds of 

 prey, and that remarkable half-and-half bird between 

 these two groups, the secretary-bird of Africa — are 

 enemies of snakes. Our httle kites hunt for them 







Fig. 58. — Gila monster of Arizona iHeloderma suspectum). Another 

 species (H. Jiorridum) inhabits Mexico. 



and may be seen to eat them during flight. Man and 

 hogs, of course, are the great enemies in civilized 

 regions. 



While all poisonous snakes should l)e killed, it 

 is better in many cases where field-mice, gophers, 

 ground-squirrels, etc., prevail too plentifully, to allow 

 the non -poisonous snakes to live. There is only one 



