HOW BOOMSLANGS BITE. 147 
It will be seen by the results of the above experiments that 
the bite of the Boomslang destroys the life of a fowl just as 
rapidly as that of the Cobra, and that the venom of the Puff-Adder 
is in comparison very slow in its action and not so virulent. 
How BooMsLAncs BITE. 
There are two reasons why the Boomslang does not always 
inflict a venomous bite. The fangs are grooved and comparatively 
small, and if the bite is delivered through clothing the venom is 
absorbed by the material, and the fangs barely scratch the flesh. 
Secondly, the fangs are set half-way back in the upper jaw, and 
are three in number on each side, exactly under the eyes, and 
naturally, unless the Boomslang’s grip be full and complete, these 
fangs do not penetrate the flesh. During my experiments, I 
observed that the Boomslang in every case took as good a grip 
as possible on the animal, then almost instantly, with a heaving, 
forward movement and disengagement of the teeth of the upper 
jaw from the victim’s flesh, it would take a fresh and more secure 
hold, the upper jaws in which the fangs are set being capable 
of being pushed downwards, exposing the fangs and forcing their 
points forward ; the jaw then closes with a snap, and the snake 
worries the flesh, with the evident intention of forcing the venom 
into the punctures, as well as enlarging them for the freer ingress 
of the poison. 
A medical correspondent from Barkly, Eastern Province of 
Cape Colony, wrote me that a short time ago he lost a favourite 
dog from a bite by a Boomslang. The dog attacked the reptile, 
which bit its foe on the leg. The dog died a few hours after being 
bitten. 
A stock farmer at the Vaal River told me that one of his oxen 
was bitten on the lip bya large Boomslang. The ox was eating 
the foliage of a tree, and had evidently disturbed the snake. 
The herd-boy saw the affair, and called the farmer, who was at 
his waggon, a little distance away. He says he saw and shot the 
snake, which was a variegated variety of Boomslang. He applied 
what is known as “‘ Jesse Shaw’s”’ cure, but the ox died three- 
quarters of an hour after. 
Since the publication of the first edition of this book I have 
