94 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



stair rails, and sundry ugly cuts in the wallpaper caused by the 



wild blows aimed at the reptile. 



Hauling the mangled body out in triumph, one of the fellows 



declared he would take it to the museum the follov^ing day. 



I quietly assured them it was only a common Brown House 



Snake, that it was perfectly harmless, — as harmless as a lizard, 



and that it was evidently intent upon catching mischievous, 



thieving mice. 



House snakes soon become quite tame, if gently handled at 



frequent intervals. Those in our cages are taken out, and while 



being held in the hand, they take dead mice from the fingers, and 



swallow them. 



One evening when walking in St. George's Park, at Port 



Elizabeth, I attempted to capture a snake, which I noticed on 

 the path. In the darkness I bungled, and the reptile bit my hand. 

 I felt the sting of its teeth. Being too dark to identify the 

 species, I seized it firmly and hurried off to the nearest electric 

 light. I was much relieved to find that, instead of a Night 

 Adder, it was a harmless Brown House Snake. Now, if I had 

 known nothing about snakes I should probably have rushed off 

 for help in a great state of alarm and nervous dread, and doubtless 

 have been dosed with some popular snake bite remedy, and ever 

 afterwards advocated it as a cure for snake bite. 



Much Ado about Nothing. 



The following appeared in a certain Cape Colony newspaper, 

 and was telegraphed all over the country : — 



" Our Louwsburg correspondent writes : — An extraordinary 

 affair occurred last night, when the inmates of the local gaol — 

 situated four miles away — were thrown into commotion by the 

 entrance of a snake into one of the two cells which a paternal 

 Government has provided for the accommodation of prisoners 

 and witnesses alike. About ii p.m. one of the prisoners heard 

 a rustling noise near him, and, thinking it was a mouse, put out 

 his hand to drive it away. His fingers came into contact with the 

 body of a snake, and he was immediately bitten on the hand. 

 The shouts of the prisoners brought out the warders, but when 

 they entered the cell the snake had already retired into its hole. 

 The bitten man was suffering severel}-, and a messenger was 



