514 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



comparatively mild in its poisonous effects. Fowls are highly 

 susceptible to snake venom, and succumb easily. It will be seen 

 that several fowls actually recovered in a week's time after four 

 drops of pure fresh venom had been injected into them. The 

 poisonous action appeared to be comparatively sUght, for the 

 only haemorrhage was that which occurred in the injected thigh, 

 and this was by no means extensive, and moreover, it was all 

 under the skin, and not in the muscles. Lymph was the principal 

 fluid which accumulated. If those fowls had been larger creatures 

 capable of being properly treated by draining off this lymph and 

 blood, and if antiseptics, fomentations, and other restoratives 

 had been apphed, I am assured that many of those which died 

 would have recovered. Nothing at all was done for them. They 

 were simply left in their cages and fed and watered. 



Why the venom should behave so very differently when 

 injected under the skin, and when injected deep down into the 

 muscular tissue, I know not. It is probable that this viperine 

 venom when introduced under the skin, is not absorbed so rapidly 

 as when injected into the muscles, and that the vital forces of 

 the body have time to generate anti-toxic substances to cope 

 with it as it enters the general circulation, or that the excretory 

 organs have more time to eliminate it. 



In the above-mentioned experiments, the venom was collected 

 from Puff Adders recently captured. The venom was, in every 

 case, used within an hour after being shed by the snake. The 

 manner of collecting the venom was as seen in several illustrations 

 elsewhere. 



The subject is an interesting one for scientific men to pursue. 



I think I have solved the problem which puzzled me, viz. 

 why a Puff Adder should have such long fangs ? It is because 

 the nature of its venom is such that, to have its full poisonous 

 effect, it must be injected deep into the muscular tissues. 



L. 



Items of Snake Knowledge. 



A Ringhals examined on October i6, 191 1, which is the spring 

 time in South Africa, had two rows of eggs, thirty in number, the 

 size of peas, lying along each side of its backbone. These would 



