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SNAKES. 211 
‘*Catalogue of Snakes,’”’ 1893, is as follows: ‘‘Snout slightly 
prominent in the adult, obliquely truncate in the young; rostral 
a little broader than deep; symphysial at least as long as broad ; 
head-seales small, slightly larger on the snout; no shields; one 
of the pre-oculars slightly enlarged; eighteen to twenty-four 
scales across the forehead, from eye to eye; sixteen to twenty 
scales round the eye, which is separated from the labials by two 
or three series of scales; twenty-one to twenty-five upper labials, 
Scales in eighty-one to ninety-five rows. Ventrals 234 to 243; 
anal entire ; sub-caudals forty-nine to sixty. Pale brown above, 
with fifteen to twenty dark brown crossbars, widening on each 
side, and is connected by a dark dorsolateral streak, enclosing 
large elongate oval or elliptical spots of the pale ground-colour ; 
a light longitudinal line in the cuter widened portion of the dark 
crossbars ; on each side a series of large dark brown spots with 
light centres, most of which alternate with the dorsal bars; on 
the tail the markings become much larger, brick-red, edged with 
black, and separated by narrow yellowish interspaces; head with 
a dark brown median line extending from between the nostrils to 
the nape, widening behind, sometimes loop-shaped; a crescentic 
blackish marking on the rostral; a dark brown streak on each 
side of the head, passing through the eye, and sending down a 
process between the end of the snout and the eye; a dark brown 
bar below the eye and two on each side of the lower lip ; belly 
yellowish, dotted, or dotted and spotted with black.” 
The tail of the Reptile equals about one-tenth of its entire 
length. There are seven species in the genus Bou. Boas have 
rather small eyes with a vertical pupil. Their body is round or 
slightly compressed; the scales of which are very small and 
smooth, and generally exhibit a beautiful iridescence. Their 
head is distinct from the neck and their teeth are largest in 
front, gradually decreasing in size. The Boa is said to ‘‘ contract 
habits so inoffensive, that in Surinam it holds the rank of one 
of the domestic animals, with which it frequently lives in perfect 
harmony.” 
This Snake, when at liberty in its own country, spends a great 
deal of time in trees, watching for prey, or reposing. It also 
hides in burrows over the openings of which the natives spread 
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