820 
NOTES ON SNAKES IN EAST AFRICA 
Returning to the mango tree the following day, and 
cautiously approaching the bough on which it had been lying, 
it was easily seen by reason of its having selected some darker 
foliage against which its bright green coils were conspicuous. 
At the first attempt the snake was dislodged to a lower branch, 
and at the second hooked out of the tree on to the ground. 
It immediately started off, but was overtaken and captured. 
Half a mile away on another tree no les3 than four young 
mambas were seen, evidently only just born, for the ventral 
scutes in the umbilical region had not as yet healed up. Three 
of these were captured and might easily be mistaken for one 
of the six species of Green Snakes ( Chloropliis ) which are found 
in East Africa, or for the Spotted Wood Snake (Pholothamnus 
semivariegatus) which is common enough about Morogoro. 
They were very fierce, and attempted to use their fangs. 
For nearly six months the writer had two fine female 
mambas in captivity ; these measured 8 feet 1 J inches, and 
7 feet 8-J inches respectively. They were very active, and 
when at first confined struck at the glass when anyone 
approached their cage ; possibly realising the futility of this 
procedure they abandoned it, but continued for a couple of 
months to draw themselves up and threaten the observer 
with open jaws. In time even this menace was given up, 
but to the last they continued to follow every movement of 
the onlooker with their bright eyes. 
They fed readily enough, and it was rather a difficulty to 
keep up the supply of mice ; for though they killed large rats 
for food they refused to swallow them except on a few unique 
occasions. Several times they ate dead mice, and once one 
of them seized upon a dead weaver bird which was put into 
the cage. Finding itself watched, however, it dropped the 
bird, and during the period of its captivity never touched 
another. 
On December 7 the smaller mamba killed and swallowed 
two very large rats, one at 8 a.m., the other at 11 a.m. ; owing 
to carelessness the case containing these reptiles was left in 
the sun from 4 p.m. till 5.80 p.m., with the result that both 
creatures died from the heat. On opening the stomach of the 
one that had recently fed, it was found that the flesh and fur 
