NOTE. 
SoutH AFRICA, in a zoological sense, is that portion of Africa 
south of the Zambesi and Cunene rivers. It is true that the 
boundary is a very artificial one, but it is convenient, and serves 
a good and useful purpose. Great numbers of the species of 
living creatures which inhabit various parts of South Africa also 
occur further north. 
The distribution of each species of snake mentioned in this 
volume is given so far as it is at present known. We are con- 
stantly adding fresh localities to species of snakes. Because a 
snake is not recorded as occurring in any given place, it must 
not be assumed that it does not occur there. There are a great 
many portions of South Africa which remain well-nigh unex- 
plored from a zoological point of view. Since the publication 
of the first edition of this volume, many new localities for snakes, 
and several new species, have been discovered. People who are 
resident in the wilder parts of South Africa can do much to further 
our knowledge of the distribution of South African snakes 
by placing collections of them in spirit and forwarding them to 
one of the public museums of the country. The Government 
permits all specimens for the museums in South Africa to be 
carried free by rail or post. 
The nomenclature in this volume is according to the cata- 
logue of snakes in the British Museum, compiled by that well- 
known authority G. A. Boulenger. 
It is also from this source I obtained the scientific descrip- 
tions of the Genera and Species which are, in the majority of 
cases, copied verbatim. 
In giving the lengths of the various species of snakes, a general 
average of those measured has been taken. It is not claimed 
that the measurements given are the maximum lengths attain- 
able by any of the South African snakes. Snakes of the same 
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