Читать книгу Venoms: Venomous Animals and Antivenomous Serum-therapeutics - A. Calmette - Страница 37

Six species of Naja are found in Africa:—

(1) N. haje or haie.—Scales in 21–23 rows on the neck, which is dilatable, although slightly less so than that of N. tripudians, the Cobra-di-Capello of India.

Six or seven large supralabial shields, sixth or seventh in contact with the lower postocular. Eyes separated from the labial shields by the suboculars. 191–214 ventral scales; 53–64 subcaudals.

Colour yellowish, olive, or uniform black; belly yellowish; black or brown band on the neck; head sometimes blackish.

Total length, 1,180 millimetres; tail 290.

Habitat: Borders of the Sahara, Egypt, Southern Palestine, East Africa as far south as Mozambique.

Naja haje (the Egyptian Cobra) is common throughout the Nile Basin, the Sudan and Central Africa. Livingstone mentions it several times. In Egypt it is met with in the vicinity of ruined monuments, under the large blocks of stone or among brushwood.

The Egyptians are greatly in dread of it, and hunt it down as often as possible. When pursued, N. haje turns bravely and faces its adversary, raising itself upon its tail, puffing out its neck and hissing fiercely. If too hard pressed it strikes at its enemy.

“A friend of mine,” writes Anderson, “had great difficulty in escaping from one of these snakes. While botanising one day a Naja passed quite close to him. My friend darted backwards with all speed, but the Naja pursued and was about to attack him, when he stumbled against an ant-hill and fell flat on his back. This, no doubt, frightened the snake, which disappeared in a twinkling.”

Another case of the same kind is narrated by Waller, who writes: “A young girl met with her death in a truly dramatic fashion. She was walking behind some porters on a narrow path, when suddenly an Aspic came out of a thick bush, attacked and bit her in the thigh; in spite of all efforts to save her the unfortunate girl died in less than ten minutes.” This instance, which is absolutely authentic, proves the truth of the statements made by various travellers. Natives assert that a full-grown Naja invariably pursues either a man or an animal, however large, when either passes within its range (Brehm).

Snake-charmers, of whom there are many in Egypt, always employ Naja haje for their performances. They know how to capture it, and tear out its fangs by making it bite a bundle of rags.

This species rarely lives more than six or eight months in captivity, and is quite untamable. It is fond of bathing, and remains in the water for hours together.

“The Ancient Egyptians,” write Duméril and Bibron,3 “are known to have worshipped the Naja, which they regarded as the protector of their crops. They allowed it to live and multiply among the cultivated lands, which they apparently entrusted to the care of their tutelary guardian, recognising that this snake freed them from the ravages of the rats, the immense number of which otherwise caused terrible destruction and even actual famine. It was, therefore, from motives of gratitude that the Egyptian Cobra was venerated in this way; that its image was hung up in the temples; that its skin was embalmed; and that its effigy, so easy to recognise and to reproduce roughly, was graven or sculptured on the stones of their monuments. This is the explanation of the fact that paintings representing N. haje are frequently reproduced in hieroglyphics and on Egyptian sarcophagi.”

The Naja was the tutelary deity of the temples, whose duty was to prevent the profane from entering. Thus, in one of the crypts of Denderah we find represented Serpent-genie, figures with a head like that of a Naja supported by the body of a man, with the hands armed with enormous cutlasses (Mariette, Dendérah, p. 91, 1875).

(2) N. flava.—Same arrangement of scales. Neck dilatable. 200–227 ventrals; 50–67 subcaudals.

Colour very variable, yellowish, reddish, brown, or black, uniform or with light spots; sometimes a black transverse band on the neck.

Total length, 1,470 millimetres; tail 230.

Habitat: South Africa.

(3) N. melanoleuca.—Coloration very variable. Sides of the head yellow or whitish; labial shields tinged with black on the posterior edge.

Total length, 2,400 millimetres; tail 400.

Habitat: Tropical Africa.

(4) N. nigricollis.—Third supralabial shield the deepest, sixth and seventh not in contact with the postoculars; 183–228 ventral scales; 55–68 subcaudals.

Coloration very variable; lower surface of the neck with a black transverse bar.

Total length, 2,000 millimetres; tail 300.

Habitat: From Senegambia and Upper Egypt to Angola and the Transvaal.

(5) N. anchietæ.—Scales in 17 rows on the neck and on the body; 181–192 ventrals; 52–62 subcaudals.

Colour blackish or brown above; end of snout and cheeks yellow; belly yellow or pale brown, with or without black cross-bar under the neck.

Total length, 1,800 millimetres; tail 340.

Habitat: Angola and Ovamboland.

(6) N. goldii.—Eyes large, two-thirds the length of the snout in adults. Scales in 15 rows on the neck and on the body; 194—195 ventrals; 88 subcaudals.

Colour black, uniform, or with transverse series of small whitish spots; cheeks and end of snout white, with a black border at the margin of the shields; belly white in front, black behind; subcaudal scales black.

Total length, 1,750 millimetres.

Habitat: Lower Niger.