SPBKD Of Tin: HOCK 



of t hfir owi '.-w persons have any idea of the exceeding heaviness of a large Snake, and 



unless tin- reptile has bean fairly lifted and curried about, il.s i>\ di.ling movement* have t h- 

 .lT.it of making it api*-uras if it were an light as it is graceful. 



lioth jaws an- thickly studded with these teeth, and Uieir use is to seize the prey and hold 

 it while the huge folds ,,f the body are flung nmnd tli.- \irtim. an.l its lif.-i-rn-.ln-l ..ut of it* 

 frame by the contractin:: c..iN. In order to secure its prey, the Rock Snake acto aft.-t the 

 manner of all this family. It waits in some spot when- it knows that it* victim will pass, mil* 

 its tail round some object, such as a tree or a stone, so as to give it a firm hold, and tli.-n. 

 nipidly darting at the prey, it draws back it.s head, can-vim; tin- jKM.r \ictim into tin- fatal 

 gra.sp of its folds. It usually s.-1/..-s l.y tli.- throat, and retains itw hold until tin- crushed 

 animal Is quite dead. 



The following interesting account of tin- I{<N k Snuke of Natal hiw been kindly forwarded 

 to me by Captain 1 >ni\ >n : 



The Rock Snake is somewhat rare, even in the least populous districts, and, in conse- 

 quence of its retired habits and silent method of moving, it is not frequently seen. Although 

 on an average I traversed the forests and plains near my various stations at least five times a 

 u.-.'k. 1 men l"it -'.!! I;.--K BBak.- during a [>eriod "!' n.-.uh tin-.- \.-ar-. This Snak-- 

 retreats into rocky crevices, or amongst the most tangled brushwood, after it has devoured its 

 prey, which consists of toads, frogs, lizards, such as guanas, et<-.. birds of any size, and even 

 small bucks. Its bite is quite harmless compared to that of the poisonous Snakes, and it 

 destroys its victims by pressure. 



"So cautious is this Snake to remain quite quiet if it thinks itself unseen, that on one 

 occasion I n.-a i h rod> ov-r i nthoi UXgt BOB, which lay on a small ]>ath along wfclflhlwM 

 riding. On .-arh sid- of this path there was a dense jungle, and there was merely room for one 

 animal to travel along it. I happened to 'pull up' my pony to examine the surrounding' 

 l-ii^li. when I noticed that his erected ears indicated that he had seen game, he being a most 

 accomplished shooting pony. Upon looking on the path before me I observed a very large 

 Snake, lying perfectly still, and looking at mi- in a MTV suspicious manner. The reptile being 

 partly concealed by the long grass, I could not see whether or not it was a poisonous Snake, so 

 I quietly 'reined back' about a yard, and shot the creature through the body. The coils and 

 contortions were something t.-rritic to see, as tin- monster fought haul for his lift- ; but even the 

 bone and muscle of a Boa has but a poor chance against gunpowder and lead. A charge of 

 buck shot in the head settled the business, and cleared the path of a very disagreeable 

 vis-d-vt*. This Snake measured about sixteen feet in l.-n^th. and was in very fair condition, 

 having a fine bloom on his skin. He had resided about a hundred yards from a long rh-i 

 (lagoon), in which frogs and lizards abounded. 



" A much larger Rock Snake was shot by me some time after tin-, and measured upwards 

 of seven yards. I once hod an opportunity which rarely occurs to many men, viz., that of 

 trying my speed with a young Boa-constrictor. l'jon returning from shooting one afternoon I 

 crossed the Umbilo River near Natal, and shortly after observed a coran flying up and down 

 in a very singular manner. This bird leing very good eating, I dismounted, and commenced 

 stalking him, and approached within a few yards of him without being discovered. I 

 then noticed a Snake creeping towards the coran, which merely flew on a few feet ami then 

 settled again. The Snake again approached the bird, which, however, seeing me, became dis- 

 enchanted, and was making its escape when I shot it, and then turned my attention to the 

 Snake, which remained quite still. I soon saw that the animal was a young Rock Snake about 

 twelve feet long, and, being desirous to obtain a live specimen of this reptile, I ran to my 

 pony, where on the saddle I had a long leather strap, with which I hoped to noose the 

 young Boa. 



" Upon returning to the scene of the coran's death, I found the Snake making oft* as fast 

 as he could towards a clump of thick bush. Imtni-liately starting after him. I headed him 

 after a race of about sixty yards, when he turned and tried another direction. I failed in 

 noosing him, and, finding that he would probably escape into the bush, I was compelled 



Tot. IIL-M. 



