HUNTING IN THE SOTIK 235 



mixed with grass rather thick-stemmed grass and in one 

 case with the pulpy, spiny leaves of a low, ground-creeping 

 euphorbia. 



At this camp we killed five poisonous snakes: a light- 

 colored tree snake, two puff adders, and two seven-foot 

 cobras. One of the latter three times "spat" or ejected its 

 poison at us, the poison coming out from the fangs like white 



A rhino "coming on" 

 From a photograph by Kcrmil Roosn-ell 



films or threads, to a distance of several feet. A few years 

 ago the singular power of this snake, and perhaps of certain 

 other African species, thus to eject the poison at the face of 

 an assailant was denied by scientists; but it is now well 

 known. Selous had already told me of an instance which 

 came under his own observation; and Tarlton had once been 

 struck in the eyes and for the moment nearly blinded by the 

 poison. He found that to wash the eyes with milk was of 

 much relief. On the bigger puff adder, some four feet long, 

 were a dozen ticks, some swollen to the size of cherries; ap- 



