AFRICAN REPTILES AND BIRDS 



This giant reptile is not as fond of open and arid coun- 

 try as many other snakes are, but seems to love damp but 

 not too thick forests, where it is often seen lying on the 

 large limbs of trees, from where it will fling itself upon its 

 prey as it passes under the tree. The python is not afraid 

 of water, but, on the contrary, is found swimming across 

 lakes and rivers, and natives have assured me that the 

 python often catches and devours fish, although I have no 

 authentic proof that this is the case. The chief menu of 

 the python consists of the smaller antelopes and half- 

 grown goats and sheep, which the hideous monster first 

 kills by crushing them between its coils. If the python 

 cannot find antelopes, goats, or sheep, it will be content 

 with birds of different kinds. 



When the big reptile has seized its prey and squeezed 

 it into a mass of tangled bone and flesh, it proceeds to 

 swallow it whole, head first. It is a slow process, but is 

 made easier by the ejection of a great quantity of saliva 

 over the victim. This constitutes a kind of " grease," 

 which makes it possible for the python to convey its prey 

 through the throat into the intestines, which is done by 

 the successive contracting of the segments of its body. 

 When the snake has swallowed its prey, and particularly 

 when this has been an antelope of considerable size, or a 

 kid, it is extremely lazy and slow in its movements, but 

 otherwise the big brute is very agile and fierce. The 

 natives fear all kinds of snakes, and seem to have a tre- 

 mendous respect for this reptile, although they know that 

 it is not poisonous. I have heard from Lumbwa men that 

 this snake has sometimes devoured little children, who 

 have been caught by the python near the villages. It is, 



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