i6o THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



I could warn him it had bitten liis hand, but I instantly ligatured 

 his arm, scarified the wound, rubbed in permanganate of potash, 

 and injected serum. He recovered. 



This species of Sea Snake is black above, and bright yellow 

 beneath, the two colours being distinctly separated — the line of 

 demarcation being very pronounced. Some specimens have a 

 profusion of black spots over the abdomen, and the tail is mottled 

 whitish and black. The average length is two feet to two feet 

 six inches. 



The poison apparatus of all the Sea Serpents is highly special- 

 ized, like that of the Cobra. 



I have frequently found these snakes cast upon the shore of 

 Algoa Bay, or in pools left amongst the rocks by the outgoing 

 tide. They have also been recorded from Durban Bay, Simons- 

 town, False Bay, and Table Bay. I have several times tried to 

 keep these snakes alive in an aquarium, but they always died 

 after a few days. I have no doubt, however, that they would 

 live and thrive in a properly constructed aquarium if the water 

 was kept at about the temperature they are accustomed to. 

 Hydrus platurus is divided into seven varieties, owing to the 

 differences in colouration in the different locahties it inhabits. 

 The one marked Variety E, is the kind we find at Algoa Bay. 



South African Terrestrial Front-Fanged Snakes. 



COBRAS, MAMBAS, CORAL SNAKES, GARTER SNAKES, 

 Etc. 



Sub-family V. Elapin^. 



The snakes of this sub-family are all highly venomous. 



This important sub-family of Colubrine snakes include the 

 most dreaded of all snakes, viz., the Cobras and Mambas. 



There are about one hundred and forty species known, which 

 are scattered over the Southern part of North America, Central 

 and South America, Africa, and Southern Asia to Australia. 

 These highly- venomous snakes belong to the division known as 

 the Proteroglypha, having fangs set in the front part of the upper 

 jaw, in the bones known as the anterior maxillary bones. The 

 fangs are usually deeply grooved or channelled. In some species 

 the sides of the grooves show a tendency to unite and form 



