274 THE SNAKES 



hollow fangs which, in the act of striking, arc 

 thrown forward in the jaw and project 

 momentarily from it.^ On the reptile's head 

 recovering itself after the blow, these fangs fly 

 back, and are restored to their normal position 

 pointing to the back of the throat, I do not 

 think that the natives of Zambezia extract and 

 utilise snake poison as is done in other parts of 

 the continent and elsewhere for the poisoning of 

 arrows and other unpleasant purposes, nor are 

 they aware of any special remedies for snake- 

 bite such as have made quite a small reputation 

 for themselves in certain parts of South Africa. 

 They certainly apply messy-looking decoctions 

 of herbs to the part bitten, but I should, 1 fear, 

 have but little faith in the efficacy of their 

 ministrations in case of necessity. 



The Python, compared with the form we have 

 just been considering, is a comparatively innocent 

 and harmless creature, although perhaps he may 

 not look it. Pythons in Zambezia, especially in 

 Shupanga Forest, in Cheringoma, and in some of 

 the rocky streamways of Gorongoza, grow to 

 great and impressive size ; one shot by me some 

 years ago on the Mudi stream near Blantyre, in 

 the Nyasaland Protectorate, measuring a little 

 over 20 feet in length by possibly 30 inches in 

 girth at the thickest point. Pythons love cool, 

 dim forest, or rocky, mountainous surroundings, 

 and are rarely found very far from water. I 

 remember seeing one swimming strongly and well 

 in the Zambezi River a little above Mozambique 



1 By means of opening the jaws to their widest extent. 



