39 



kill it, as the case may be. 



Other snakes may be caught in the above 

 manner also. 



Other methods of catching snakes are : to o^^^'^ 

 stalk them while laying asleep under bushes, to snake 

 take them by surprise when lying across roads (fast catching, 

 walking is necessary, and the snake, imagining 

 that it has not time to escape, lies still, trusting in 

 its protective colouration to save it), and to 

 ambush them at waterholes (a tedious process) ; to 

 search under logs and brushwood, and to burn or 

 cut down jungle. 



The latter is by far the most satisfactory way, 

 but it is not always possible, and when it is, comes 

 rather expensive. The snake that gives the most zamenis 

 sport when catching it is the large Rat-snake, in Mucosus. 

 spite of the fact that it is harmless. 



Although Rat-snakes are found all over 

 Ceylon, it is preferable to hunt them on an estate 

 at an altitude of about three or four thousand feet, 

 as the up-country Rat-snakes grow to a very large 

 size, and considerably more sport is obtainable by 

 catching them in a difficult rock-covered country 

 than in the flat lowlands. I suggested hunting 

 them on an estate because practically all the land 

 at that elevation which is not cultivated is jungle, 

 which latter grows too densely on the mountains to 

 permit of snake-hunting being possible. 



If the country is difficult, the assistance of a 

 few coolies is necessary. Often when walking 

 along quietly a snake may be seen lying like 

 a black streak across the mountain path, with its 

 head under a bush to protect its lidless eyes from 

 the glare of the sun. As you approach the serpent 

 will slowly draw its body across the track and 

 retreat down the slope. If you can reach it in 

 time you may take it by the tail, but once the 

 snake knows that it has been seen the slow gliding 



