64 



THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



grooving. They are recurved, which means they are curved 

 backwards. These teeth are capable of inflicting a nasty wound. 

 I was tr5dng to capture a Python one day amongst some rocks 



in one of those beauti- 

 ful tropical - looking 

 valleys, so abundant 

 in Natal. I got it 

 cornered, and tried to 

 get a noose over its 

 head. In desperation, 

 I suppose, it made 

 a fierce lunge and 

 seized my left hand in 

 its great jaws and held 

 as tight as a steel rat 

 trap. I yelled out to 

 my companion, but he 

 was away in the bush 

 somewhere. Fearing 

 the Python would 

 want to take the 

 liberty of embracing 

 me, I dragged my 

 hand out of its mouth, 

 the hand, of course, 

 being minus most of its 

 epidermis. You want 

 to know what I did 

 then ? Well, I re- 

 treateddown the rocks. 

 After my friend had 

 bandaged my hand, we 

 crawled up again and 

 shot the Python, and 

 then retrieved my gun, 

 satchel, and hat. 



Pythons become 

 very tame and docile in captivity. For many years past 

 I have kept them in cages. I had one big fellow eighteen 

 feet long, and so tame did he become that one day I coiled 



\ baby python and a baby boy. 



