210 THE VIVARIUM. 
coiling himself round them, and showing every symptom of intense 
delight.’ ”’ + 
The end of this Boa was remarkable and pathetic. Mr. Severn 
told Professor Romanes that some years after he had written the 
letter to the Z%mes from which the above extract has been made, 
Mr. M. was seized with an apoplectic fit. Mrs. Mann, being alone 
in the house with her husband, ran out to call a doctor. She was 
absent for about ten minutes, and found on her return that the 
Snake had crawled upstairs to the room in which her husband was 
lying and was beside him dead. 
The late Mr. Frank Buckland, among many others, visited Mr. 
and Mrs. M. and their Snakes at Chelsea, and also published an 
account of his experience in one of the leading newspapers. The 
small Snakes which Mr. M. kept with the Boas and Python, 
were some African Lacertine Snakes, and the Common Ring- 
Snake. 
I have known of a Boa, more than 5ft. in length, which lived 
for a long time in a box 2ft. long, 1ft. wide, and 1ft. deep, and 
yet the Snake was apparently in perfect health and fed exceed- 
ingly freely all the while. The box was placed near a stove 
which was not lighted in warm weather. This fact is mentioned 
to show that though this Snake is not so hardy as some of its 
relatives it can nevertheless endure, seemingly without hurt, a 
certain amount of what may be called rough-and-ready treatment. 
The Common Boa, though not generally a lover of water, will 
occasionally after eating enter and remain in its tank for some 
time. It should, therefore, like the Pythons and the other 
Snakes lately described, be always provided with the means of 
taking a bath. The Boa constrictor is viviparous and has from 
time to time produced young while in captivity. Small specimens 
of this Snake, about 4ft. long, can sometimes be bought for 25s. ; 
frequently, however, the price is higher than this, ranging from 
£2 to £5. The Common Boa is a native of tropical South 
America, and is found from Venezuela to Buenos Ayres. It 
hardly ever reaches a greater length than 12ft. 
Mr. Boulenger’s description of the Boa constrictor in his 
| The Times, July 25th, 1872. 
