376 THE SNAKES: OF SOUTH APRIGA. 
bottle, the dry venom with which they are charged will remain 
active indefinitely. 
The quantity of venom collected at one time from a freshly 
caught six-foot Cape Cobra varies from six to ten drops—some- 
times a little more. When the weather is moist and warm, the 
glands seem to be most active. A snake, which has been kept 
in captivity, even for only a few days and which has been handled 
freely, will not give nearly so much venom as one freshly caught 
and operated on at once. 
The reason is, the latter is in a fierce state of anger and fear. 
This condition is exceedingly favourable for the rapid secretion 
and ejection of venom. Snakes, when often handled, become 
increasingly passive, even refusing to bite under the strongest 
provocation. I have frequently, with finger and thumb, opened 
the jaws of snakes and placed them over the rim of the rubber- 
covered glass, but they persistently refused to bite. The only 
thing to do in these cases is to elevate the fangs with a bit of 
pointed wood and compress the head and manipulate the poison 
glands. Mechanical pressure of the glands is not nearly so 
successful in expelling the venom as the natural action of the 
Masseter muscle fibres which wring the glands, when the snake 
desires to bite. In very large freshly caught Cobras, as much as 
fifteen drops of venom may be collected within ten minutes by 
allowing the reptile to retain its hold, meanwhile irritating it 
now and then by rubbing its nose with a bit of blunt stick. Dr. 
Hanna mentions having obtained as much as_ twenty-eight 
drops of venom from a fresh Indian Cobra. In captivity he 
found the same species of snakes only yielded from five to ten 
drops. 
I was holding an average-sized Puff Adder by the neck on my 
table when, with an unexpected tug, it jerked its head free and 
aimed a blow at my left hand which I succeeded in jerking away 
in time. The snake’s head struck the table with a loud thump 
and a quantity of venom was ejected upon the glossy American 
Leather cover. I collected eight drops and calculated that two 
or three more drops remained which could not be removed from 
the cloth. The average quantity of venom obtained from a 
large freshly caught Puff Adder is about ten drops by allowing 
it to discharge venom voluntarily and by squeezing the glands 
with the fingers. Puff Adders, after being kept in captivity for 
