136 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



was bitten moped for a day and a half, but recovered 



eventuall3^ 



When allowed to bite through ordinary trouser cloth, and if 

 not permitted to hang on, the fangs of Herald Snakes and 

 Schaapstekers in most instances failed to penetrate the flesh. It is 

 not because the fangs are not sufficiently long. The reason is 

 that with back-fanged snakes the poison fangs are at the back 

 of the upper jaw. It is, therefore, necessary for the snake to 

 ensure a mouthful before he can succeed in driving the fangs 

 fully home. 



Persons must never take liberties with any of these back- 

 fanged snakes. Under ordinary conditions the momentary bite 

 of most of tliis family of serpents is not likelj^ to have any serious 

 results, especially so if the punctures be scarified and rubbed with 

 permanganate of potash. It must be remembered, however, that 

 if allowed to bite and hold on, they will work sufficient venom 

 into the flesh to cause serious symptoms of poisoning, and even 

 death. 



Although the venom of a snake may not be in sufficient 

 quantity to destroy life by its direct action upon nerve centres 

 or blood, it is quite likely that it may be tlie indirect cause of 

 death by setting up a state of sepsis, or ordinary blood-poisoning. 

 Those addicted more or less to the habit of drinking alcohohc 

 liquor are strongly predisposed to contract blood-poisoning, and 

 die as the result of the injection of even a fractional dose of 

 snake venom into their tissues. 



The Boomslang or Tree Snake. 

 {Dispholidus iypus.) 



A Cannibal. 



This is the snake which recent events have made famous in 

 South Africa. Recently, one bit an assistant in our Museum, 

 with nearly deadly effect ; then another in our collection 

 of living snakes deliberately swallowed another of its own 

 species, almost as big as itself. These incidents caused heated 

 discussions everywliere, as, in the first place, the Boomslang has 

 been regarded as a non-venomous snake, and, secondly, it has 

 hitherto been believed that when snakes swallow each other it 



