186 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
door to renew the water in the drinking vessel, for the snake 
would either dart at him, or send a shower of venom in the 
direction of his face. 
How weE PHOTOGRAPHED THIS RINGHALS. 
‘Fine specimen that Ringhals is, sir! ’’ quoth my assistant. 
“Yes, rather. We must have a photograph of him before he 
loses his fire and energy.”” So I summoned my snake photo- 
grapher and departed one fine morning for the adjacent veld 
with our Ringhals in a box. 
The camera was rigged up. We donned our goggles, grasped 
each a stick with a fork at the end, and then released the snake. 
Out he darted, and on seeing us, with a ferocious series of hisses, he 
faced about and stood at bay. A magnificent sight he was, with 
his glittering black eyes, shiny under surface, and fully expanded 
hood. Then the fun began. That snake conceived a special 
hatred for the camera. Evidently he considered it to be a more 
formidable enemy than ourselves. He had often seen our species 
before and watched them scuttle off when he reared and hissed. 
The camera was an unknown foe. “I say, Ullyett! I want 
him taken as large as possible. No! that won’t do. Get 
closer.”” ‘But, sir, won’t he bite?’ ‘‘ Never you mind about 
that. We will keep him off.” But we didn’t. When Ulyett’s 
head was hidden under the camera cloth, the snake suddenly 
dropped his hitherto raised head and body on to the ground, 
and made a charge at the photographer’s legs. “ Look out, 
Ullyett !”’ I yelled. Ullyett sprinted back without loss of time. 
Then the snake changed his tactics. Instead of making short 
rushes at us, he bespattered us with his venom, which he sent 
out in showers, finely sprayed. We did not mind, for our eyes 
were safely protected. Ullyett was rather nervous after such a 
narrow escape of being bitten. Every time he got his camera 
near enough, the snake made unpleasant demonstrations. I 
began to grow weary of it all. The troublesome thing was deter- 
mined not to allow us to obtain a good photo of it. “‘ Look here, 
Ullyett, I have an idea. Just focus your camera on this spot, 
and have it ready to take a snap shot.” When the camera was 
