- 



BOID.E. 



BOID.E. 



I :, 



dilatation and Mention of lubricating mucus were excessive. The 

 iwrprnt fint got the fore leg* into hi* mouth; he then coiled hiinirii" 

 round the rabbit, and appeared to draw out the dead body through 

 his folds; he then began to dilate hi jaw*, and holding the rabbit 

 finnly in a coil an a point of resistance, appeared to exercise at 

 intervals the whole of hi* anterior muscles in protruding hia stretched 

 jaw* and lubrioated mouth and throat at first against and soon after 

 gradually upon and over bin prey. The curious mechanism in the 

 jaw* of serpents which enables them to swallow bodies so dipropor- 

 tioned to their apparent bulk is too well known to need description ; 

 but it may be an well to state that the symphysis of the under jaw 

 was separated in this case, and in others which I have had an oppor- 

 tunity of observing. When the prey was completely ingulphed, the 

 serpent lay for a few momenta with hia dislocated jaws still dropping 

 with the mucux 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 efforts to replace the parts, the jaws 

 appeared much the same as they did previous to the monstrous repast. 



" I now proceed to the first of the two points above alluded to, and 

 have to state my opinion that the Run Constrictor does respire ' when 

 his head and neck have no other appearance than that of a serpent's 

 skin stuffed almost to bursting ; ' and I think that, upon a more close 

 examination, the same phenomenon would hare been observable in 

 the serpent shipped at Batavia. It is to be regretted that the dissec- 

 tion of that serpent appears to have been confined to the stomach ; at 

 least nothing is said of any other port of the animal. I hare never 

 had an opportunity of dissecting the pulmonary system of a boo, or 

 of satisfying myself as to the structure of the extremely long trachea, 

 which must be very firm to resist such an immense pressure ; but I 

 believe, from a near and accurate inspection, in company with others, 

 that respiration goes on during the period of the greatest dilatation. 

 While these serpents are in the act of constringing or swallowing their 

 prey, they appear to be so entirely pervaded by the Spefu [appetite] 

 which then governs them, that I am convinced they would suffer them- 

 elves to be cut in pieces before they would relinquish their victim. 

 I have assisted in taking them up, and removing them with their prey 

 in their coils, without their appearing to be in the least disturbed by the 

 motion, excepting that, if after the victim is no more and the constric- 

 tion is somewhat relaxed, an artificial motion be given to the dead 

 body, they instantly renew the constriction. When thus employed 

 they may be approached closely and with perfect security for the 

 reason above stated, and I have uniformly found that the larynx is, 

 during the operation of swallowing, protruded sometimes OB much as 

 a quarter of on inch beyond the edge of the dilated lower jaw. I 

 have seen, in company with others, the valves of the glottis open and 

 shut, and the dead rabbit's fur immediately before the aperture 

 stirred, apparently by the serpent's breath, when his jaws and throat 

 were stuffed and stretched to excess. In the case above mentioned, 

 where the prey was taken very awkwardly, and the dilatation was 

 consequently much greater than usual, I saw this wonderful adapta- 

 tion of means to the exigencies of the animal much more clearly than 

 I had ever seen it before. 



" With regard to the next point, it is more difficult to account for 

 the variance between the agony of antipathy shown by the goat as 

 described by Mr. M'Leod, and the indifference which I have uniformly 

 observed in the full grown fowls and rabbits presented to these 

 serpents for prey. Immediately after our boa hod swallowed his first 

 rabbit, a second was introduced ; but the serpent now exhibited a 

 very different appearance. The left side of his lower jaw was hardly 

 in its place, and he moved about the cage instead of lying in wait as 

 on the former occasion. As for the rabbit, after he hod been incarce- 

 rated a little while, he treated the snake with the utmost contempt, 

 biting it when in his way, and moving it aside with his head. The 

 snake, not having his tackle in order, for his jaw was not yet quite 

 right, appeared anxious to avoid the rabbit, which at last stuinMed 

 upon the snake's head in his walks, and began to treat it so roughly, 

 that the rabbit was withdrawn for fear of his injuring the snake. 

 This treatment of the make by the rabbit did not appear to be the 

 effect of anger or hatred, but to be adopted merely as a mode of 

 removing something, which ho did not appear to understand, out of 

 his way. I have seen many rabbits and fowls presented to different 

 specimens of boa for prey, and I never saw the least symptom of 

 uneasiness either in the birds or quadrupeds. They appear at first to 

 take no notice of the serpent, large as it is, and when they do discover 

 it they do not start, but seem to treat it with the greatest indifference, 

 I remember one evening going up into the room where one of these 

 snakes was kept at Exeter 'Change, and seeing the hen which was 

 destined for the prey of the boa, very comfortably at roost upon the 

 serpent The keeper took the hen in bis hands and held it opposite 

 to the head of the snake, without succeeding in inducing him to take 

 the bird, which, when let out of the keeper's hands again, nettled 

 hernelf down upon the serpent for the night. 



" The only solution which I con offer of the difference between 

 Mr. M'Leod's description and my experience, is n\w. which I do not 

 propose as absolutely satisfactory, Imt which may nevertheless be 

 found to approach the truth. The goats put on board at Batavia for 

 the serpent, which it appears was brought from Borneo, were in all 



probability initi 1 . r- of Java, and if so, they would, according t the 

 H.inilrrfnl in-tin. -t winch nature has implanted in animals for their 

 preservation, be likely to have a violent antipathy to large serpents, 

 such as those which there lurk for their prey. The great Python is a 

 native of Java, and if these goat* were wild, or originally from the 

 wild stock of the island, their in-tin, live horror at the sight of the 

 destroyer may be thus accounted for. But our domestic fowls and 

 rabbits (the stock of the latter most probably indigenous, and that of 

 the former of such remote importation, and so much changed by 

 descent, as to be almost on the same footing), having no such natural 

 enemy as a largo serpent, against which it is necessary for them to be 

 on their guard, are entirely without this instinct, although it is strong 

 enough in the case of their ordinary enemies, such as hawks, dogs, ana 

 cats ; and they consequently view the boa which is about to daub at 

 them with the same indifference as if he were a log of wood." 



We now proceed to give an account of the genera and species of the 

 family Boida, and in doing this we shall follow the arrangement of 

 Dr. J. K. Gray in the Catalogue of the specimens of Snakes in the 

 British Museum. 



I. TaU prehaaHf, ttrong ; Head dittinct / Muzslt trttneaitd. 

 a, Subcaudal plate two-rowed ; intermaxillary or incisive teeth 



distinct ; superciliary bone distinct 

 Crown of head with small shield-like plates. 



1. Morelia. Upper and lower labial shields deeply pitted ; muzzle 

 with symmetrical shields. There are two species of this genus, .me 

 with the vertical plate indistinct, the other with the same plate 

 distinct : 



M. tpilolet (Coluber argiu, Linnicus, Coluber ipUot't, Laccpede), the 

 Diamond-Snake. This species has the vertical plates indistinct It 

 is of a bluish-black colour, very irregularly yellow, spotted, a spot on 

 the centre of each scale, forming a group of five or six together or a 

 kind of tied blotch ; occiput with an angular band. It is a native of 

 Australia. 



M. rariegata, the Carpet-Snake, Vertical plates distinct. It is 

 whitish, with numerous irregular black-edged olive cross-bands, with 

 irregular serrated and torn edges ; head olive, varied with two or three 

 white spots in the centre of the crown, and a broad short band behind 

 each eye. Several 8[>ecimenB of this species are in the British Museum, 

 brought from Port Essington, Swan River, and other parts of Aus- 

 tralia. 



** Crown of head shielded to behind the eyes. 



2. Python. Upper and lower labial shields deeply pitted ; muzzle 

 and forehead with symmetrical shields ; nostrils vertical 



There are two species of this genus which have been referred to by 

 jnany writers as varieties of Boo, Constrictor, They are distinguished 

 by placing their eggs in a group and covering them with their body. 

 This statement, which was mode by Mr. Bennett, and afterwards con- 

 firmed by M. Lomare Picquot, has been doubted, but its truthfulness 

 has been confirmed by the proceedings of a python in the Garden of 

 Plants at Paris. 



P. retictdatus, the UlarSawad, is distinguished from the next species 

 by the four front upper labial plates being pitted ; the frontal plate 

 simple ; the head has a narrow longitudinal brown stripe. It is one 

 of the most brilliant species of the whole family, its whole body being 

 covered with a gay lacing of gold and black. It is a native of Hin- 

 dustan, Ceylon, and Borneo. Several specimens are in the British 

 Museum, and a living specimen in the gardens of the Zoological 

 Society, Regent's Park. It is said to increase till it is more than thirty 

 feet in length and stout in proportion. The powers of such a gigantic 

 reptile must be enormous, and it is stated that this serpent is able to 

 manage a buffalo. Nor are there wanting horrible instances of man 

 himself having fallen a prey to these monsters in modern times. The 

 story goes that a Malay prow was anchored for the night under the 

 island of Celebes. One of the crew hod gone on shore to search f.'r 

 betel-nut, and is supposed to have fallen asleep upon the beach from 

 weariness on his return. In the (lend of the night his companions on 

 board were roused by dreadful screams : they immediately went 

 ashore, but they came too late ; the cries had ceased, and the wretched 

 man luul bnWMd his lont in the folds of on enormous serpent, which 

 they killed. They cut off the head of the snake and carried it, t. Ae- 

 ther with the lifeless body of their comrade, to the vessel. The right 

 wrist of the corpse bore the marks of the serpent's teeth, and tin 1 dis- 

 figured body showed that the man had been crushed by the const ri. 

 tion of the reptile round the head, neck, breast, and thigh. The picture 

 by Daniel), representing a man seized by one of these monsters, will 

 be familiar to many of our readers. 



P. nwluriui (Coluber molurvi, Linnteus, P. Jarnnimt, Kuhl, P. 

 Tiijrit, Uaudin), the Rock-Snake, is one of the species of this family 

 often called by the name Boa Conttririnr. It is characterised by 

 having the two pairs of front upper and three hinder lower labial 

 pHed, with the frontal plate double. The structure of the 

 head and jaws of this species is seen in the annexed cuts, which will 

 illustrate generally these points in the anatomy of the family. In the 

 Museum of the College of Surgeons are several beautiful ]>i-<-\a< 

 of the structure of this gigantic snake. Four living examples are now 

 in the Gardens of the Zoological Society, Regent's Park. This species 

 is a native of Hindustan, Java, and other parts of Asia, 



