On the Boa Constrictor. 303 



pendage or arm hanging down into the water, which, from his ac- 

 quaintance with the sepia, he concluded to be that of the squid ; 

 being probably the only one left after the rest had putrified or 

 been devoured. Such was likewise the opinion of a navigator, 

 of much experience and long observation in the scenery of the 

 north Atlantic, then on board ; who remarked that the corrupting 

 lump was intolerably fetid, and offensive to man j and would, if 

 the brig was suffered to run against it, impregnate her with foul- 

 ness and stench for the whole voyage. She was accordingly kept 

 to windward for the purpose of avoiding it ; but the smell was 

 notwithstanding extremely nauseous and disgusting. 



On conversing with mariners in the White Sea, such occur- 

 rences were spoken of by them, as too common to excite much 

 attention or any doubt. 



Afterwards while at Drontheim, in Norway, Captain Neville 

 discoursed with practical men concerning things of this kind. 

 The prevailing idea was, that such drifting lumps were by no 

 means uncommon ; that they were bodies or fragments of huge 

 squids ; that these were sometimes borne away by the Mael- 

 stroom current, and ingulfed and dashed to pieces by its whirl- 

 pools ; and that these broken trunks and limbs were sometimes 

 cast on shore, and sometimes tossed about on the sea. 



It is supposed that squids and whales inhabit the same tracts 

 of ocean ; because the former furnish food for the latter, at 

 least for the cachalats, orco, and other toothed and voracious 

 species. 



LI. On the solid Excrement of the Boa Constrictor. By 

 Edmund Davy, Prof essor of Chemistry and Secretary to the 

 Cork Institution. 



A. SHRPENT of the genus Boa, the Boa Constrictor, was lately 

 exhibited for some days in Cork. I had no opportunity of seeing 

 it; but I have been informed, it was about 12 feet in length, very 

 handsome, and quite domesticated. It was so gentle as to allow 

 persons to touch it, and when permitted, it would twine itself 

 round them and seem to enjoy the agreeable warmth of their 

 clothes. In general, it was very inactive, exce))t when stimulated 

 by hunger, when it became more animated. Live rabbits were its 

 usual food, one or more of which were given at intervals varying 

 from about 10 to 21 days. When the serpent showed a disposi- 

 tion to eat, a rabbit was presented, which it first crushed, and 

 then gradually swallowed without any previous mastication. It 

 voided excrement about once a fortnight. 



George Montague, cs(|. who had several opportunities of see- 

 ing this serpent, procured from its owner a portion of its excre- 

 ment. 



