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  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1943 
  

  

  an 
  alert 
  ringhals 
  may 
  be 
  lying, 
  as 
  the 
  venom 
  is 
  ejected 
  in 
  two 
  streams 
  

   from 
  the 
  fangs, 
  accompanied 
  by 
  the 
  expulsion 
  of 
  air 
  from 
  the 
  lungs, 
  

   so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  sprayed 
  in 
  a 
  fine 
  shower 
  for 
  several 
  feet. 
  The 
  entry 
  of 
  

   venom 
  into 
  the 
  eyes 
  causes 
  intense 
  pain, 
  followed 
  by 
  inflammation 
  

   and 
  partial 
  or 
  total 
  blindness. 
  The 
  eyes 
  should 
  be 
  promptly 
  and 
  

   efficiently 
  treated 
  by 
  washing 
  at 
  once 
  with 
  water 
  and 
  boric 
  acid. 
  The 
  

   poison 
  is 
  not 
  harmful 
  when 
  it 
  falls 
  on 
  the 
  unbroken 
  skin. 
  Eye- 
  

   glasses 
  or 
  goggles 
  afford 
  adequate 
  protection 
  to 
  the 
  eyes 
  against 
  the 
  

   spray 
  of 
  venom. 
  Owing 
  to 
  its 
  small 
  size, 
  the 
  ringhals 
  can 
  throw 
  its 
  

   venom 
  only 
  about 
  6 
  feet. 
  The 
  bite 
  of 
  the 
  ringhals 
  is 
  as 
  deadly 
  in 
  

   proportion 
  to 
  its 
  small 
  size 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  any 
  other 
  cobra. 
  Unlike 
  most 
  

   cobras, 
  this 
  snake 
  produces 
  its 
  young 
  alive, 
  in 
  litters 
  of 
  from 
  24 
  to 
  

   60. 
  It 
  is 
  common 
  throughout 
  South 
  Africa. 
  

  

  The 
  spitting 
  or 
  black-necked 
  cobra. 
  

  

  The 
  black-necked 
  cobra 
  {Naja 
  nigricollis) 
  also 
  sprays 
  its 
  venom. 
  

   Larger 
  in 
  size, 
  it 
  is 
  even 
  more 
  formidable 
  than 
  the 
  ringhals. 
  It 
  has 
  

   a 
  much 
  wider 
  range 
  than 
  the 
  ringhals, 
  being 
  found 
  from 
  upper 
  

   Egypt 
  to 
  Angola 
  and 
  the 
  Transvaal, 
  and 
  is 
  very 
  common 
  in 
  some 
  

   regions. 
  It 
  rears 
  and 
  "spits" 
  upon 
  slight 
  provocation, 
  and 
  the 
  venom 
  

   is 
  effective 
  at 
  distances 
  up 
  to 
  12 
  feet. 
  The 
  snake 
  is 
  7 
  feet 
  long 
  when 
  

   fully 
  grown, 
  and 
  since 
  it 
  rears 
  its 
  head 
  to 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  3 
  feet 
  from 
  

   the 
  ground, 
  its 
  attack 
  is 
  unexpected 
  and 
  overpowering. 
  The 
  effect 
  of 
  

   the 
  venom 
  on 
  the 
  eyes 
  of 
  the 
  victim 
  is 
  as 
  disastrous 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  

   ringhals. 
  It 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  if 
  nothing 
  were 
  done 
  to 
  dilute 
  or 
  wash 
  

   away 
  the 
  poison 
  from 
  the 
  absorbent 
  membranes 
  of 
  the 
  eyes, 
  blindness 
  

   would 
  result. 
  Not 
  enough 
  of 
  the 
  poison 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  absorbed 
  to 
  

   cause 
  death, 
  however. 
  This 
  snake 
  may 
  be 
  lustrous 
  black, 
  olive, 
  brown, 
  

   or 
  salmon 
  pink 
  in 
  color. 
  The 
  black 
  variety 
  may 
  show 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  large 
  

   crimson 
  blotches 
  under 
  the 
  hood 
  when 
  this 
  is 
  spread. 
  The 
  lighter- 
  

   colored 
  specimens 
  have 
  a 
  black 
  band 
  across 
  the 
  throat, 
  giving 
  the 
  

   snake 
  its 
  common 
  name. 
  

  

  The 
  black 
  cobra. 
  

  

  This 
  serpent 
  {Naja 
  melanoleuca) 
  is 
  slightly 
  larger 
  and 
  heavier 
  

   than 
  the 
  spitting 
  cobra 
  and 
  looks 
  somewhat 
  like 
  it. 
  It 
  does 
  not 
  spit 
  

   venom 
  but 
  is 
  quick 
  to 
  become 
  angered 
  and 
  will 
  rush 
  to 
  attack 
  whoever 
  

   comes 
  near. 
  It 
  is 
  confined 
  to 
  tropical 
  Africa. 
  The 
  shiny 
  texture 
  of 
  

   its 
  skin 
  distinguishes 
  it 
  from 
  the 
  dark 
  variety 
  of 
  the 
  spitting 
  cobra. 
  

  

  The 
  Egyptian 
  cobra 
  or 
  asp. 
  

  

  This 
  snake 
  {Naja 
  haje, 
  pi. 
  14, 
  fig. 
  1) 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  widely 
  distributed 
  

   of 
  the 
  African 
  cobras, 
  being 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  North 
  Africa 
  ex- 
  

   cept 
  in 
  the 
  coastal 
  area 
  of 
  Algeria. 
  It 
  is 
  especially 
  numerous 
  in 
  

   countries 
  bordering 
  the 
  Sahara 
  and 
  extends 
  through 
  East 
  Africa 
  all 
  

   the 
  way 
  to 
  Natal. 
  Its 
  color 
  is 
  dull 
  brown, 
  blending 
  well 
  with 
  the 
  

  

  