BOAS. 181 



breath, when his jaws and throat were stuffed and 

 stretched to excess. In the case above mentioned, 

 where the prey was taken very awkwardly, and 

 the dilatation was consequently much greater 

 than usual, I saw this wonderful adaptation of 

 means to the exigencies of the animal much more 

 clearly than I had ever seen it before." 



It is reported that even large animals, such as 

 stags, tigers, and buffaloes occasionally become 

 the prey of these huge reptiles. In the German 

 Ephemerides, we have an account of a combat be- 

 tween an enormous Serpent and a Buffalo, by a 

 person who assures us that he was himself a spec- 

 tator. The Serpent had for some time been wait- 

 ing near the brink of a pool, in expectation of its 

 prey, when a Buffalo was the first that offered. 

 Having darted upon the affrighted animal, it 

 instantly began to wrap it round with its volu- 

 minous twistings ; and at every twist the bones of 

 the Buffalo were heard to crack. It was in vain 

 that the poor animal struggled and bellowed ; its 

 enormous enemy entwined it too closely to get 

 free ; till at length, all its bones being mashed to 

 pieces, like those of a malefactor on the wheel, 

 and the whole body reduced to one uniform mass, 

 the Serpent untwined its folds to swallow its prey 

 at leisure. To prepare for this, and in order to 

 make the body slip down the throat more glibly, 

 it was seen to lick the whole body over, and thus 

 cover it with its mucus. It then began to swal- 

 low it at that end that offered least resistance, 

 while its length of body was dilated to receive its 

 prey, and thus took in at once a morsel three 

 times its own thickness. 



Nor are these gigantic serpents formidable only 



