About and Above the Great Falls. 117 



It was just below the Sackabaroo creek that the 

 large " Haimarara" snake was procured. Coiled as 

 it was among a thick bushy tuft, where the tail alone 

 was visible and was mistaken for the front of the body, 

 the snake seemed quite small, and it was only after it 

 had been struck by a charge of No. 6 shot, and it had 

 fallen into the water, that its real size was perceived. 

 Being but slightly damaged by the fine shot, it swam 

 vigorously ; and for some little time there was a con- 

 siderable degree of excitement — on my part, lest the 

 snake should escape ; and on the men's, lest it should 

 attempt to enter the woodskins, as they warily, and 

 quite inefficiently, paddled under the overhanging 

 branches to intercept its course. The Indians at once 

 recognised it as "Haimarara" — "bad, bad snake" they 

 declared ; but a good view shewed me that, at any rate 

 as regards poison, it was a perfe6lly harmless species, 

 and I was thus able to grasp it and secure it, against the 

 most earnest remonstrances from the men. A chance 

 gash which I received from its teeth, while uncoiling it 

 from a branch under water, around which it had coiled on 

 being seized, proved to the men that it was really harm- 

 less, though they were at first inclined to believe that I 

 had taken something to prevent snakes from harming 

 me. Though destitute of poison, the reptile was capable 

 of infli6ling a very severe bite, and its hindmost maxillary 

 teeth, especially, were very large and curved. Its Indian 

 name is evidently taken from the resemblance of its 

 markings to those of the fish (Haimara^, but the dark cross 

 bands are more distinft and paired, and the ground colour 

 is yellowish-brown, not silvery. 

 Above the Oobaroo, the banks are quite swampy, and 



