THE ANACONDA. 59 
size is a well-established fact. Shaw mentions a skin in the British 
Museum, in one of his lectures, which measured thirty-five feet in 
length. 
Three other species—the Lamanda (2. divinilogua), from Santa 
Lucia; the Emperor (2. zmperator), a native of Mexico; and #. 
eques, the Chevalier Boa of Peru—are all to be occasionally seen 
in the Zoological Gardens. 
The Boa anaconda, more properly Lunectes murinus (Vig. 16), is 
also a native of tropical America. The name of Anaconda has be- 
come well known through Mr. Lewis’s celebrated tale so called, in 
which its predatory habits are displayed in such a manner as to 
enthral and fascinate the reader, as the author makes the reptile 
fascinate its victim. The name, Mr. Bennett tells us, is of Cing- 
halese origin, and is popularly applied to all very large serpents. 
This species is of a brownish tint, with a double series of colours 
extending from head to tail; the sides are covered with annular spots 
with white discs surrounded by blackish rings. Seba has represented 
this creature lying in wait for mice; but this is probably the prey of 
the young Anaconda. Another provincial name, “ El Troga Venado” 
(the deer swallower), is probably applied to the matured reptile. 
The following description of the actions of one of these large 
non-venomous serpents, which accompanied a specimen sent to 
the United Service Museum, by Sir Robert Ker Porter, is probably 
a fair description of the habits of all the large Pythonide -—“ This 
species is not venomous, nor is it known to injure man (at least 
not in this part of the New World) ; however, the natives of the plain 
stand in great fear of it, never bathing in waters where it is known to 
exist. Its common haunt, or rather domicile, is invariably near 
lakes, swamps, and rivers ; likewise close to wet ravines produced by 
inundations of the periodical rains. Animals which repair there to 
drink, and even fishes, are its prey. ‘The creature lurks watchfully 
under cover of the water, and, while the unsuspecting animal is 
satisfying its thirst, suddenly makes a dash at its nose, and witha 
grip of its back-reclining range of teeth, never fails to secure the 
terrified beast. In an instant the sluggish waters are in turbulence 
and foam. The whole form of the serpent is in motion; its huge 
and rapid coilings soon encircle the struggling victim, and but a short 
interval elapses ere every bone in the body of the expiring prey is 
broken.” Sir Robert then describes the manner in which the prey is 
» swallowed, being previously lubricated by the serpent’s saliva ; but 
Professor T. Bell, after carefully watching the constricting serpent’s 
mode of swallowing its prey, asserts that this is a delusion. ‘The 
