if 18 Mr. Brodeiip on the Mode in which 



I now proceed to the first of the two points above alluded to^ 

 and have to state my opinion, that the Boa Constrictor does re^ 

 spire " when his head and neck has no other appearance than that 

 of a serpent's skin stuffed almost to bursting;"* and I think that^ 

 upon a more close examination, the same phaenomenon would 

 have been observable in the serpent shipped at Batavia. It is to 

 be regretted that the dissection of that serpent appears to have 

 been confined to the stomach : at least nothing is said of any otheij 

 part of the animal. I have never had an opportunity of dissect-« 

 ing the pulmonary system of a Boa,i or of satisfying myself as to 

 the structure of the extremely long trachea, J which must be very 

 firm to resist such an immense pressure ; but I believe, from a 

 near and accurate inspection, in company with others, that 

 respiration goes on during the period of the greatest dilatation* 

 While these serpents are in the act of constringing or of swallow-^ 

 ing their prey, they appear to be so entirely pervaded by the 

 o^s^is which then governs them, that I am convinced they would 

 suffer themselves to be cut in pieces before they would relinquish 

 ^heir victim, I have assisted in taking them up and removing 

 them with their prey in their coils, without their appearing to be 

 ^n the least disturbed by the motion, excepting that if, after the 

 victim is no more and the constriction is somewhat relaxed, an 

 artificial motion be given to the dead body, they instantly renew 

 the constriction. When thus employed they may be approached 

 closely and with perfect security for the reason above stated, and 

 I have uniformly found that the larynx is, during the operation 

 of swallowing, protruded sometimes as much as a quarter of an 



* M'Leod's Narrative, p. 260. 



+ Speaking of the lungs of the reptiles Cuvier says, " II n'y en a qu'un seul, 

 dans les ophidiens, extrSmement long, et se prolongeant au-dessus de I'oeso- 

 phage, de I'estomac et du foie, jusqu' au-dela de ces derniers. Cette situation 

 fait qu'il doit etre comprimd toutes les fois que I'animal avale une proie d'un 

 certain volume ; ce qui gSne sans doute alors la circulation pulmonaire, et 

 contribue probablement a I'engourdissement qu'eprouvent les serpens apres 

 qu'ils ont -fait un repas copieux." Lemons d'Anatomie comparee. Tom. 4, 

 p. 347. 



X Speaking of " Serpens proprement dits," Cuvier says, " leur trachee- 

 artere est tres-longae." Rcgue Animal. Tom 2. p. 64. 



