RINGED SNAKE. 53 
fore-leg of the opposite side. Each continued its inroads 
upon the poor frog’s limb and body until at length the 
upper jaws of the two Snakes met, and one of them in the 
course of its progress slightly bit the jaw of the other ; this 
was retaliated, though evidently without any hostile feel- 
ing; but after one or two such accidents, the most power- 
ful of the Snakes commenced shaking the other, which still 
had hold of the frog, with great violence, from side to side, 
against the sides of the box. . After a few moments’ rest, 
the other returned the attack, and at length the one which 
had last seized the frog, having a less firm hold, was 
shaken off, and the victor swallowed the prey in quiet. No 
sooner was this curious contest over than I put another 
frog into the box, which was at once seized and swallowed 
by the unsuccessful combatant. 
The frog is generally alive not only during the process of 
deglutition, but even after it has passed into the stomach. 
I once saw a very small one, which had been swallowed by 
a large Snake in my possession, leap again out of the 
mouth of the latter, which happened to gape, as they fre- 
quently do immediately after taking food. And, on an- 
other occasion I heard a frog distinctly utter its peculiar 
cry several minutes after it had been swallowed by the 
Snake. In taking lizards or birds, it always, as far as my 
own observation goes, swallows the head foremost. After 
it has taken its food, it usually remains inactive for many 
days, not ordinarily seeking a fresh meal until the former 
one is digested. So exclusively are all Serpents animal 
feeders, that they not only will not take, but cannot digest, 
vegetable matters. This is shewn in a very striking man- 
ner by a fact which I have witnessed in the case of a Boa 
which was in the menagerie formerly kept at the Tower. 
This creature was accustomed to have fowls given to it ; 
