212 MARVELS OF THE ANIMAL WORLD 



had passed the night. Although the banded- 

 krait rarely makes use of its power to inflict a 

 poisonous bite, except for the purpose of overpower- 

 ing its prey, yet its smaller relative, known as the 

 blue-krait, is responsible for a very large number 

 of deaths amongst human beings. An instance is 

 recorded of a soldier who was bitten by one of these 

 reptiles dying after an interval of eight hours. 



Of the smaller kinds of venomous snakes, the 

 carpet viper, and the cerastes or horned viper are 

 justly dreaded, for, in spite of their diminutive size, 

 their bite usually proves fatal. The former species, 

 which does not exceed two feet in length, inhabits 

 the desert regions of North Africa, South -West 

 Asia, and India. A short time back a man was 

 bitten on the forehead by a captive specimen, but 

 notwithstanding that he was promptly removed to 

 hospital and received treatment within a quarter 

 of an hour after the accident, yet, on arrival, his 

 temples (upon which only two small punctures 

 were visible), and his face were much swollen, and 

 in spite of the best attention his death ensued after 

 an interval of twenty-five hours. The second species 

 referred to, which receives its name on account of 

 the two horn-hke projections that sprout from its 

 head, is found in the desert regions of North Africa. 

 Its pale, sandy-yellow colour harmonises so com- 

 pletely with its surroundings as to render it almost 

 invisible, even when an observer is but a few feet 

 away. According to reports, the reptile is capable of 

 causing the death of a man within half an hour of 

 inflicting a bite, yet, notwithstanding, the natives 



