76 



THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



its bod}^ and a third held it by the neck, opened its mouth and 

 gently pushed lumps of raw meat down its gullet with the aid of 

 a smooth, rounded stick. The second man meanwhile worked 



60 



a 



u 



o 



o 



n 

 to 



the meat down to the middle part of the snake. After about ten 

 pounds of beef had been lodged in the snake's stomach, a hgature 

 was applied above the meat — that is, between the meat and the 

 snake's mouth. This was to prevent the snake disgorging the 



