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DESTRUCTION OF MAIZE BY JACKALS 
cobra is Kinga. Can any reader of the Journal give any 
information as to the means by which some natives make 
themselves immune to snake bites ? 
I have seen one or two natives handling cobras and puff- 
adders without the slightest fear, and I allude to wild, not 
captive snakes. It is true I have never seen one bitten, but they 
are bitten if report speaks correctly. 
Unfortunately my own particular snake-boy, to whom we 
were looking forward for a collection of native snakes, has 
been smitten by local female charms and has eloped with 
another man’s wife and the contents of the husband’s cash box. 
It may be of use to note that a weak solution of perman- 
ganate of potash in warm water considerably alleviates the 
pain, should a snake unfortunately spit in one’s eye. At least 
I found this was the case with the two boys at the Paper House. 
I can only recollect one case of snake-bite in this country. 
I treated the boy with a hypodermic injection of strychnine, 
applied ligatures, lanced the bite, jammed in permanganate 
of potash and gave him two or three stiff pegs. He was bad 
for two or three days but recovered and is still living. 
The snake which bit him was the snake described as the 
earthy-grey cobra, Naja haiae (?). 
DESTRUCTION OF MAIZE BY JACKALS 
By C. M. Dobbs 
To one who has spent all his time in the Nyanza Province 
it comes as a great surprise to find that the destruction of maize 
by jackals is anything out of the ordinary. As, however, it 
appears to be peculiar to this part of the Protectorate and to be 
unknown in South Africa, perhaps the following notes on the 
subject may be of interest : 
The natives in Kisii District used frequently to complain 
about the amount of damage done to the maize by an animal 
that lived in the bush and barked like a dog, but it was not till 
I came to Kericho District that I had personal experience of 
