BOAS. 175 



Genus Python. (Dum.) 



The great Serpents of the Old World are dis- 

 tinguished by the above name from those of the 

 New, to which the generic term Boa is now re- 

 stricted. The general organization, the appear- 

 ance, and the habits of both are nearly identical ; 

 but the Pythons are distingushed by having the 

 plates beneath the tail arranged in a doube series. 

 The front of the head and muzzle are clothed 

 with broad plates, and those on the lips are in- 

 dented with pits or dimples. They attain a size 

 fully equal, if not superior to the true Boas, there 

 being authentic records of specimens approach- 

 ing forty feet in length, and reports of their far 

 exceeding even these colossal dimensions. Their 

 appearance is very beautiful, the ground colour 

 is commonly a yellowish grey, more or less intense, 

 on which marks of brown of various shades are ar- 

 ranged in irregular patterns of bands, and spots, 

 and chains. During life a rich iridescent gleam is 

 reflected from the surface, in the sun, particularly 



TAIL-PLATES OF PYTHON. 



from the darker parts. The species are found in 

 Africa (probably in most parts of that continent 

 to the south of the Desert), in India, and in the 

 great islands of the Oriental Archipelago. 



The form and appearance of these great Ser- 



