ART. IT EAST AFRICAN" VERTEBRATES LOVERIDGE 61 



should he show fear, the snake doctors beat him with sticks until his 

 fear of them is greater than that of the snake. Generally he gets 

 bitten and is dreadfully ill, but recovers after treatment. 



CAUSUS KHOMBEATUS (Lichtenstein) 



COMMON NIGHT ADDER 



Common night adders are splendid feeders in captivity; some speci- 

 mens received from Tabora would take toads at noon almost from 

 the hand. In one instance both captives seized one square-marked 

 toad, the first by the left fore leg and the second by the right hind leg. 

 I did not interfere (as the double dose of venom would make things 

 quicker for the poor toad) until the first snake began to swallow from 

 the head; then I attempted to push the second snake off with a flat 

 foot ruler against its mouth. I succeeded eventually, but the bulldog 

 tenacity displayed by the snake was astounding; it fought the ruler 

 for its prey and if pried off at one point would seize at another. 

 Instead of being discouraged by the turmoil the first snake only seemed 

 eager to swallow faster; it actually took eight minutes from the time 

 it struck until the toad's toes disappeared. The second snake lost no 

 time in seizing another toad which it swallowed hind end first. Though 

 doubtless narcotized to some extent the toad remained breathing and 

 blinking its eyelids until its head was engulfed, actually closing its eye 

 to avoid the ensheathed fang which pressed upon it. When swallowing 

 began the fang appeared to be no longer used and remained folded 

 back during deglutition. 



CAUSUS RESIMUS (Peters) 

 GREEN NIGHT ADDER 



Native name. — Fuko (Kinyamwezi) . 



I should think this species does not occur in the Dodoma district. 

 Three specimens purchased in Shinyanga by Mr. Carnochan were all 

 dead on arrival at Dodoma. In the initiation rite which he under- 

 went he was subjected to the bite of this snake, which they correctly 

 informed him was very poisonous; he was then "cured." He pointed 

 out the individual snake to me on his return and on examining its 

 mouth I found the poison fangs had been extirpated. Sc. 15, V. 152, 

 A. 1,C. 16, L. 6. 



BITIS ARIETANS (Merrem) 



PUFF ADDER 



Native name. — Kipili (Chigogo). 



The native names for this common reptile are very confusing, as 

 different names are applied to the same individual before and after 

 casting or at different ages. 



Some of them are as follows: 



