NOTE. 



South Africa, in a zoological sense, is that portion of Africa 

 south of the Zambesi and Cunene rivers. It is true the 

 boundary is a very artificial one, but it is convenient, and serves 

 a good and useful purpose. Great numbers of the species of 

 living creatures which inhabit various parts of South Africa also 

 occur further north. 



The distribution of each species of snake mentioned in this 

 volume is given so far as it is at present known. We are con- 

 stantly adding fresh localities to species of snakes. Because a 

 snake is not recorded as occurring in any given place, it must 

 not be assumed that it does not occur there. There are 

 many portions of South Africa which remain well-nigh unex- 

 plored from a zoological point of view. Since the publication 

 of the first edition of tliis volume, many new localities for snakes, 

 and several new species, have been discovered. People who are 

 resident in the wilder parts of South Africa can do much to further 

 our knowledge of the distribution of South African snakes 

 by placing collections of them in spirit and forwarding them to 

 one of the public museums of the country. The Government 

 permits all specimens for the museums in South Africa to be 

 carried free by rail or post. 



The nomenclature in this volume is according to the cata- 

 logue of snakes in the British Museum, compiled by that well- 

 known authority G. A. Boulenger. 



It is also from this source I obtained the scientific descrip- 

 tions of the Genera and Species wliich are, in the majority of 

 cases, copied verbatim. 



In giving the lengths of the various species of snakes, a general 

 average of those measured has been taken. It is not claimed 

 that the measurements given are the maximum lengths attain- 

 able by any of the South African snakes. Snakes of the same 



xi 



