FASCICUIA 281 



dozen snakes in all, and the hooded cobra that attacked 

 my brother on the Athi (p. 228) and was shot for its 

 temerity, afforded the only instance of momentary 

 excitement. This snake (Naja haje) not only strikes 

 with its fangs, but is capable of ejecting its venom from 

 the month. 



In that district, during our lion-drives, we saw three 

 or four fairly big black snakes resembling the European 

 Colubers, and probably 6 or 7 ft. in length, pre- 

 sumably black mambas. This was in January, and at 

 the same season we came across one puif- adder above 

 Nakuru. A whippy, adder-like snake, also near Nakuru, 

 but in August, completes our list. It must be added 

 that although we did not happen to see them, pythons 

 are not uncommon, especially at Solai and Baringo. At 

 the latter place Mr. Archer has shot several — one of 

 181^ ft., which had just killed a waterbuck calf, as shown 

 in photo at p. 290. 



In South Africa a very different state of affairs pre- 

 vails. There, snakes of many kinds abound, including 

 several dangerous species. The green mamba,^ for ex- 

 ample, was specially numerous on the bush-veld of the 

 North-Eastern Transvaal, where three or four sometimes 

 showed up together, their vicious heads all raised verti- 

 cally a foot or two clear of the grass, while they coolly 

 surveyed the disturber before gliding away in the same 

 half-erect attitude. These mambas appeared to be about 

 10 or 12 ft. long, of which one-third is carried erect, 



1 An example of the way in which the more advanced scientists 

 (quite unconsciously, no doubt) work " up in the clouds," high above 

 the heads of humbler students like myself, and of how little assist- 

 ance their labours thus render to field-naturalists, is afforded by this 

 same " green mamba." By that name the snake is universally 

 known throughout South Africa by black and white, Briton and 

 Boer alike : yet the name cannot be found (or, at least, I failed to find 

 it) in the whole library of the Zoological Society. So effectually is 

 the identity of a well-known reptile concealed under scientific pro- 

 cedure, that I am unable here to give its proper title. 



To christen every ci-eature in our own tongue may require the 

 ingenuity of a new Noah ; but when a well-known name actually 

 exists, surely it is criminal to suppress or ignore it ? 



