THE JAWS OF DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20306, 13 July 1929, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE JAWS OF DEATH.

THRILLS WITH SNAKES.

EXTRACTION OF VENOM. After a lifetime spent in tho wilds a man who follows one of the most dangerous professions in tho world has just returned to civilisation. He is Mr. W. E. Jones, the well-known reptile collector, who literally snatches a living out of tho jaws of death by extraction of venom from tho mamba, tho most deadly snake in Africa, whoso poison is used by research. laboratories all over t.'ie world. For nearly 35 years Mr. Jones has hunted these dangerous reptiles, whose bite is certain doath. He is pirobably tho only member of his profession, and has nover been able to find anyone willing to act as his assistant.

" I have just killed my 1000 th mamba," Mr. Jones said in London lately. " The only way in which to deal with theso snakes is to uso a shot-gun. A stick is useless, as they are so speedy that they avoid every blow with easo. They can cover 25 yards in about three seconds, and if you are going to como off best you have to bo able to shoot straight aijd shoot quickly. " 1 aim about a foot below tho head, and tho small shot cuts the snake clean in two. Then I slip on thick leather gauntlets, snatch up the writhing head, and slip it into a glass jar, where its fangs strike tho bottom again, and again, exuding little globules of yellow poison, any one of which would bo sufficient to kill two or thrco men."

Each mamba yields an infinitesimal amount of liquid, which when dried, is sold for about half a guinea a grain. It can bo seen that this intrepid hunter of snakes is in no danger of making a fortune.

"Narrow escapes!" Mr. Jones exclaimed, in answer to a question, " I have a narrow escape every time I go hunting. I think the nearest shave I havo over had was one evening when I was out for a walk unarmed. I suddenly saw two mambas coming at mo like a flash of lightning. My only hope was to remain absolutely motionless on the antheap 011 which I was standing and trust to luck .

" The huge black snakes returned to their hole and then came toward mo. By a piece of extraordinary good fortune they did not realise I was an enemy, and passed me by. When they wero out of sight I jumped down and found that my clothes wero wringing wet with perspiration! It was a wonder that my hair was not white, for I havo never boen bo scared in my life."