208 THE ODYSSEY OF AN ANIMAL COLLECTOR 
bird, the Shining Blue Kingfisher, I searched the banks of the 
river in my canoe for likely nesting holes and was lucky to find 
one frequented by a pair. Unfortunately the breeding season had 
commenced just prior to our departure so I was compelled to make 
a chance excavation in the hope of finding young. 
Lifting the nose of the canoe on to the bottom of the steep bank 
I mounted the slope and began tunneling with a cutlass. The heat 
from the sun was terrific as it shone on my back and progress was 
slow owing to roots. The hole kept caving in, and to follow it and 
to find out if I was nearing the nest chamber I had to scoop out 
the fallen earth with my hands. Suddenly I realized that I had 
reached the nest as the hole became wider. The exciting moment 
had arrived, but as I cleared away the last bit of earth prior to 
feeling for the young, I touched something and instinctively with- 
drew my hand like a flash. After widening the hole with the 
cutlass (and not using my hands) I peered in and saw the coils of 
a snake. The only reason he had not attacked me was, I presume, 
because he was coiled up in a tiny space and had no room to strike. 
I now perspired more freely than ever, but the primary duty of a 
collector is to collect, so pulling out a net from my bag, which I 
always carried, I laid it over the hole. I then cut a flexible stick 
and, pushing this through the meshes of the net, gave the snake a 
prod. At first he merely hissed but after some more determined 
prodding he shot out full of rage into the net. While he was trying 
to find a way through this I pinned him down with the stick and 
quickly transferred him to a bag. I was surprised and somewhat 
alarmed at his size and realized what a lucky escape I had had, 
for he was none other than a Black-and-yellow Cobra—a species 
that is very venomous. It is probable that he had eaten the young 
kingfishers I was hoping to get. 
It was only when I had got him safely in the bag that I realized 
that my canoe had disappeared. This was serious, as I was on the 
wrong side of the river with my snake and paraphernalia. In the 
excitement I had failed to notice that the current had taken my 
canoe downstream, so my only course was to swim after it, which 
I did fully dressed. 
The heat was so intense here that I think that most of the snakes 
a 
