60 VENOMS 
Six or seven large supralabial shields, sixth or seventh in con- 
tact with the lower postocular. Eyes separated from the labial 
shields by the suboculars. 191—214 ventral scales; 53—64 sub- 
caudals. 
Colour yellowish, olive, or uniform black; belly yellowish ; black 
or brown band on the neck; head sometimes blackish. 
Total length, 1,180 millimetres; tail 290. 
Habitat: Borders of the Sahara, Egypt, Southern Palestine, 
East Africa as far south as Mozambique. 
Naja haje (the Egyptian Cobra) is common throughout the Nile 
Basin, the Sudan and Central Africa. Livingstone mentions it 
several times. In Egypt it is met with in the vicinity of ruined 
monuments, under the large blocks of stone or among brushwood. 
The Egyptians are greatly in dread of it, and hunt it down as 
often as possible. When pursued, N. haje turns bravely and faces 
its adversary, raising itself upon its tail, puffing out its neck and 
hissing fiercely. If too hard pressed it strikes at its enemy. 
‘ À friend of mine,” writes Anderson, ‘had great difficulty in 
escaping from one of these snakes. While botanising one day a 
Naja passed quite close to him. My friend darted backwards with 
all speed, but the Naja pursued and was about to attack him, when 
he stumbled against an ant-hill and fell flat on his back. This, no 
doubt, frightened the snake, which disappeared in a twinkling.” 
Another case of the same kind is narrated by Waller, who 
writes: “A young girl met with her death in a truly dramatic 
fashion. She was walking behind some porters on a narrow path, 
when suddenly an Aspic came out of a thick bush, attacked and bit 
her in the thigh ; in spite of all efforts to save her the unfortunate 
oirl died in less than ten minutes.” This instance, which is abso- 
lutely authentic, proves the truth of the statements made by various 
travellers. Natives assert that a full-grown Naja invariably pursues 
either a man or an animal, however large, when either passes 
within its range (Brehm). 
