Mexican Mines. 227 



in consequence of the difficulty presented by the awkward po- 

 sition of the rabbit, the dilatation and secietion of lubricating 

 mucus was excessive. The serpent first got the fore legs into 

 his mouth ; he then coiled himself round the rabbit, and ap- 

 peared to draw out the dead body through his folds ; he then 

 began to dilate his jaws, and, holding the rabbit firmly in a 

 coil as a point of resistance, appeared to exercise, at intervals, 

 the whole of his anterior muscles in protruding his stretched 

 jaws and lubricated mouth and throat at first against, and soon 

 after gradually upon and over his pre}'. The curious me- 

 chanism in the jaws of serpents which enables them to swal- 

 low bodies so disproportioned to their apparent bulk is too 

 well known to need description; but it may be as well to state 

 that the symphysis of the under jaw was separated in this case, 

 and in others which I have had an opportunity of observing. 

 When the prey was completely ingulphed, the serpent lay for 

 a few moments with his dislocated jaws still dropping with the 

 mucus which had lubricated the parts ; — and, at this time, he 

 looked quite sufficiently disgusting. He then stretched out 

 his neck, and at the same moment the muscles seemed to 

 push the prey further downwards. After a few effi^rts to re- 

 place the parts, the jaws appeared much the same as they did 

 previous to the monstrous repast. — Zoological Journal. 



MEXICAN MINES. 



The following is an extract of a private letter from Mexico ; 

 its contents are of some interest, particularly in reference to the 

 progress which is making in working the several mines belong- 

 ing to the different Companies formed in this country : — 



Mexico, July 9, 1825. — You will express surprise, perhaps, at 

 my not sending you more political news, but it is only because 

 there is none to send. The congress, it is expected, will 

 meet on the first of next month, and then, perhaps, we may 

 find some gossip to send you. I find this city more agreeable 

 as a residence than any part of South America I have been in. 



I have been naturally led, since I have been here, to make 

 some comparison between this country and that other section 

 of South (or, I should say, Spanish) America, of which, as 

 you are aware, I know the most — I mean Colombia; and I 

 should say, that although, as regards their separation fi-om 

 Spain, it is as complete in the one country as in the other ; yet, 

 in point of national energy and national feeling all together, 

 Colombia is more advanced than Mexico. Fourteen years of 

 warfare, difficulty, and suffering, have develojied and matured 

 a national character in Colombia in a greater degree than has 

 occurred here, precisely because the same causes have not pre- 



F f 2 vailed 



