242 Savage's Observations on 



Art. XIX. — observations ON THE HABITS OF THE 

 PYTHON NATALENSIS. By Thomas S. Savage, M. D., of Cape 

 Palmas, Western Africa. (Communicated April 8th, 1842.) 



In the ninth number of the " Illustrations of South Africa," 

 Dr. Andrew Smith has minutely described and beautifully 

 figured the Python Natalensis. During the present season 

 Dr. Savage has kindly sent our Society a specimen of this spe- 

 cies, in fine preservation, accompanied with a valuable com- 

 munication respecting its habits, from which the Publishing 

 Committee present the following extracts. Other papers re- 

 specting the habits of the Chimpanse and many of the curious 

 and interesting animals of that country, now so imperfectly 

 known, have been received, and will be published as our 

 limits may admit. — Puh. Com. 



This serpent, when spoken of by travellers and residents, 

 has been erroneously called Boa, and thus confounded with the 

 South American genus. There is a striking similarity, how- 

 ever, between the two, both in structure and habits, so that 

 were it not for the arrangement of the sub-caudal scales, one 

 would be identified with the other. 



During my residence here, which has been five years, I 

 have seen a number of individuals of this serpent, but one, 

 however, alive, which is the specimen I now send. 



The first of which I had any authentic account was one 

 that appeared on the Mission premises of the A. B. C. F. Mis- 

 sions. The facts in the case have been kindly furnished by 

 my friend, the Rev. J. L. Wilson. He informed me that it 

 was attracted into the yard by a dog. He says, in answer to 

 my inquiries, '' He was fourteen feet long, and held the dog 

 not more than two minutes before the natives came to his re- 

 lief. I suppose that the snake had stretched himself across 

 the path, and seized the dog in the act of jumping over him. 

 I was too much frightened to observe what was the shape of 

 the body while he held the dog in his folds. I am inclined 

 to think that he had nothing to fasten his tail to, while he 

 held the dog. None of the bones of the dog were broken, 



