no 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



[Boas. 



thcr, that it acquires feeling* of attachment to its 

 protector. This was the case with one in Mr. Bell s 

 possession, which when let out of its box would 

 come to him and crawl under the sleeve of his coat, 

 for the sake of the warmth. In the collection of the 

 Zoological Society is the preserved skin of a snake 

 which lived eleven years tame in the possession of 

 a Mr. Christman, to whom it showed great attach- 

 ment. " It is brought up," says Latreille, " in houses, 

 and appears to be not insensible of the kind atten- 

 tions of those who caress it, sippina: saliva from their 

 lipa, and delighting to conceal itself under their 

 dress, twining, without doing any injury, round 

 their arms or neck. In Sardinia the young women, 

 according to Laccp^de, tame the ringed snake, feed 

 it themselves, putting into its mouth the food they 

 have prepared ; and the inhabitanU of the country 

 regard these snakes as animals of good omen, suffer 

 them freely to enter their houses, and would think 

 that they had driven fortune away if they had put to 

 flight these innocent little creatures." (' Hist. Nat. 

 des Reptiles.') 



Like all the rest, the ringed snake sheds its cuticle, 

 assuming a more vivid colouring. The frequency 

 of this change depends on the state of health and 

 feeding of the animal. Mr. Bell states that he has 

 known it cast its slough four or five times during the 

 year; it is always thrown off by reversing it, the rent 

 taking place at the neck : before this change the 

 snake is inactive and blind, the cuticle covering the 

 surface of the eyes, and which is shed with the rest, 

 becoming opaque ; the whole slough is perfect, the 

 animal slipping out, and assisting itself by creeping 

 through thick brushwood. 



The snake passes the winter in a state of torpidity, 

 choosing for a place of hybernation some sheltered 

 retreat, either under decayed masses of wood, in 

 the hollow roots of an aged tree, or beneath dense 

 brushwood and dried herbage : here numbers often 

 collect, coiling themselves together for the sake of 

 preserving a due degree of temperature. 



The ringed snake seldom exceeds three feet in 

 length, though we have seen continental specimens 

 approaching four feet. 



The Prince of Canino, in his work on European 

 reptiles, describes eighteen distinct species, besides 

 varieties, exclusive of the present snake, as natives 

 of the Continent ; of these the largest is the Elaphis 

 quadrilineatus, which often attains to six feet in 

 length. It is a native of Italy and Spain, and is pro- 

 bably the boa of Pliny. 



We now come to certain snakes of arboreal habits, 

 forming the group or subfamily Leptophina of Mr. 

 Bell. They are characterized by their extreme 

 length, slenderness, and flexibility. The eyes are 

 large ; the gape is wide ; the dorsal scales are oval, 

 those of the tail very small. 



With respect to these arboreal serpents Mr. Bell 

 observes, that they all " live in woods, entwining 

 themselves amongst the branches of the trees, and 

 gliding with great rapidity and elegance from one 

 to another. These habits, combined with the grace- 

 ful slenderness of their form, the beautiful metallic 

 reflexion from the surface in some species, and the 

 bright and changeable hues in others, place them 

 amongst the most interesting of the serpent tribe. 

 Their food consists of large insects, young birds, &c., 

 which the extraordinary size of the head, the width 

 of the gape, and the great dilatability of the neck 

 and body enable them to swallow, notwithstanding 

 the small size of these parts in a state of rest: in a 

 specimen in my possession of Dryinus auratus, for 

 instance, the length of which is four feet nine inches, 

 the diameter of the neck is hardly two lines. 



" When the skin is distended either by food or 

 during inspiration, the scales are separated from 

 each other, and the skin,, which is of a different co- 

 lour, becomes visible in the interstices, producing a 

 curious reticulated appearance. Notwithstanding 

 the poisonous mark was affixed by Linnaeus to the 

 only species of Dryinus known to him (Coluber myc- 

 terizans), it is well ascertained that they are all of 

 them perfectiv harmless ; and it is asserted of that 

 species, that the children are in the habit of taming 

 and playing with it, twining it round their necks and 

 arms, and that the snakes appear pleased at being 

 this caressed." 



I 2252.— Thb Goldks Tree-Snakk 



(Dryinus auratus). This beautiful species is a na- 

 tive of Mexico ; its general colour is yellowish grey, 

 gleaming with a pale golden hue, and dotted with 

 whitish and black. Mr. Bell records three species 

 of this genus as American, two natives of India, 

 and one of Java. One of the Indian species, D. 

 nasutus, is remarkable for a snout-like, slender, 

 moveable appendage projecting from the muzzle, 

 which in all is elongated and acute. 



2233. — Thk Purplk Lkptophis 

 (Leptophis purjnirascens). This species is a native 

 of India. Its colour is violet passing into green. 



with a golden lustre ; a lateral and dorsal line of a 

 paler hue. Head obtuse. 



Three species of this genus are Indian, one Ame- 

 rican ; two species are Australian. 



2254.— Thk Boiga 

 (Dendrophis AliatuUa). In this genus, which is 

 confined to India and Africa, the head is very 

 slender, the eye large, the gape wide ; the scales 

 along the flanks are narrow, appearing as if placed 

 in oblique lines, while those along the ridge of the 

 back are large. In our illustration, a shows the 

 characters of the head and lateral scales, and b the 

 disposition of the subcaudal plates. 



The Boiga is a native of Borneo, and is distin- 

 guished for slenderness, activity, and beauty. The 

 upper part of the body is blue with a metallic lustre, 

 passing into emerald green ; a rich golden stripe runs 

 down the spine, and another along each side. A black 

 streak is behind each eye, and below this a white 

 stripe occupies the edge of the upper jaw ; under 

 parts blue. The Boiga, says Latreille, darts with 

 arrow-like rapidity, throws itself instantaneously into 

 folds, ascends the trees with the greatest facility, and 

 there wreathing itself amidst the branches, displays 

 the golden azure of its scales, glittering in the sun. 

 It is very gentle, and the children of Borneo play 

 with it, and suffer it to twine aroimd their limbs or 

 body.; 



2255.— Thb Dipsas 

 (Dipsas cyanadon). In this genus the slender form 

 and dispositiiin of the scales is much the same as in 

 Dendrophis, but the body is greatly compressed, and 

 the head large, far exceeding the slender neck to 

 which it is attached. The species are all harmless 

 and arboreal. The genus Dipsas of Laurenti is 

 synonymous with the genus Bun^arus of Oppel, but 

 not of Daudin, the latter appropnating it to a genus 

 of venomous snakes. The ancients applied the term 

 dipsas to a snake supposed to produce by its bite a 

 burning thirst, the precursor of death. 



We now pass from the arboreal to other forms of 

 the colubrine family. 



225G. — The Capb Lycodon 

 {Lycodon Capensis, Smith). This is a harmless 

 little snake about fourteen inches long, a native 

 of South Africa, living in damp situations, where 

 decayed masses of wood and vegetable matters 

 afford it easy means of concealment; for, as Dr. 

 Smith observes, it is not endowed with the power of 

 eifecting rapid movements. " When," says that 

 naturalist, speaking of an individual captured among 

 decayed wood near a small stream, " by the removal 

 of some rotten masses the reptile was exposed, it 

 moved slowly among the remaining ones in search 

 of a place of concealment, and when it was inter- 

 rupted in its advance it simply coiled itself up, 

 without manifesting any disposition to resist the 

 opposition offered ; a similar course I had pre- 

 viously observed others of the same species pursue, 

 when attempts were made to secure them, nor did 

 they appear much in fear of their assailants." 



2257. — The OutAR Cakron 

 (Acrochordus Javanicus). Oular Carron of the 

 Javanese. 



Though the only known species of the genus, this 

 extraordinary serpent is the type of a distinct family 

 (Acrochordidae, " Les Acrochordes" of Cuvier). 

 It is easily distinguished by the head being covered 

 with small scales, as is also the whole of the body, 

 but they are separate from one another, and each is 

 marked with three small ridges ; hence when it dis- 

 tends its lungs and body with air, the skin seems as 

 if beset with minute tubercles at a considerable 

 distance asunder ; the body is thick, enlarging gra- 

 dually as it proceeds, and then abruptly contracting 

 at the base of the tail, which is short and slender. 

 The tongue is short and thick. The general colour 

 is black above, greyish white beneath and on the 

 sides, which latter are spotted with black. It 

 averages from six to ten feet in length. An indi- 

 vidual exceeding eight feet was procured in Java 

 by Hornstedt ; it was a female, and when opened 

 was found to contain five young ones perfectly 

 formed, and about nine inches long. It was cap- 

 tured in a plantation of pepper, and the Chinese 

 who accompanied Hornstedt cooked and ate its 

 flesh, which they slated to be delicious. The 

 stomach contained a quantity of half digested fruit, 

 whence it has been inferred that, contrary to the 

 rule among ophidian reptiles, it is of frugivorous 

 habits. Cuvier, indeed, says, " Hornstedt a avanc6 

 a tort qu'elle vit de fruits, ce qui serait bien extra- 

 ordinaire dans un serpent." But with deference to 

 so great an authority, we may observe that no one, 

 knowing only the general habits of the Saurian rep- 

 tiles, but not acquainted with certain species that 

 feed on leaves, would regard the iguana as herbi- 

 vorous until the fact was aicertained ; and so may 



this snake be equally herbivorous, though tlie rest 

 are carnivorous. 



Family BOIDjB (BOAS, PYTHONS). 



The Boids are huge snakes confined to the hotter 

 regions of the globe, and formidable from their vast 

 strength and mode of attack. They lurk in ambush 

 and dart upon their victim, which in an instant is 

 seized and enveloped in their folds, and crushed to 

 death or strangled. For their predatory habits they 

 are admirably adapted ; their teeth (see Fig. 2258, 

 head of Boa canina) are terrible, and produce a dread- 

 ful wound : the neck is slender, the body increasing 

 gradually to about the middle in diameter, and then 

 decreasing. The tail is a grasping instrument, 

 strongly prehensile, and aided by two hook-like 

 claws, sheathed with horn, externally visible on 

 each side, beneath, just anterior to the base of the 

 tail (see Fig. 2259, the under part of the base of 

 the tail in the Boa canina). Though externalljr 

 nothing beyond these spurs appear, internally is 

 found a series of bones, representing those of the 

 hinder limbs, but of course imperfectly developed ; 

 yet they are acted upon by powerful muscles, and 

 can be so used as to form a sort of antagonist to the 

 tail while grasping any object ; they thus become a 

 fulcrum giving additional force to the grasp, which 

 secured thereby to a fixed point, gives double power 

 to the animal's energy. These limbs removed are 

 seen at Fig. 2260 : a represents the left limb of the 

 boa seen anteriorly ; b, the same limb seen pos- 

 teriorly ; a, the tibia or leg-bone ; b, the external 

 bone of the tarsus ; c, the internal bone of the tar- 

 sus ; d, the bone of the metatarsus ; e, the claw- 

 bone. Fig. 2261 represents the tail of the boa with 

 its rudimentary limb on one side in situ with the 

 muscles exposed : a, the vent; h, the hook or spur 

 on the left side ; c, the subcutaneous muscle ; d, ribs 

 and intercostal muscles ; e, transverse muscle of the 

 abdomen ; f, bone of the leg enveloped in its 

 muscles; g, abductor muscle of the foot ; h, abductor 

 muscle of the same. Hot mora'sses, swamps, the 

 borders of rivers, and the tangled underwood of 

 dank forests, are the favourite spots which these 

 formidable serpents haunt ; often half floating in 

 the water, concealed amidst luxuriant herbage, with 

 the tail grasping some branch or adjacent tree, they 

 wait for their prey ; the footsteps of their unsus- 

 pecting victim are heard as it comes to quench its 

 thirst ; the snake raises his head, glances upon his 

 prey, then instantly lowers it, and prepares for the 

 attack ; all is silent, the creature draws near — it 

 stoops to drink ; suddenly, like a flash of lightning, 

 the snake darts upon it ; the water is lashed to foam ; 

 a cry of pain and terror, and all again is silent ; the 

 animal is quivering in the coils of the mighty snake ; 

 its life is soon crushed out. And now, gradually 

 relaxing his accumulated folds and knots, the monster 

 I disengages himself and prepares to gorge the prey; 

 he glides round it with eyes glaring upon it ; ever and 

 anon he touches it with his bifid quivering tongue, 

 and soon commences to draw it in, beginning at the 

 head, which first disappeai-s ; the mouth drips with 

 a glutinous saliva : the jaws are all distorted ; the 

 working of each is visible, and also of the muscles 

 of the head and throat ; the skin of the neck is 

 stretched, and appears as if it would burst the next 

 instant, yet still the operation proceeds : so lost 

 now is the snake to everything else, that it may be 

 approached, struck, or even wounded, without ceasing 

 its efforts, which increase with the difficulty occa- 

 sioned by the bulky body of its prey. By slow and 

 most energetic efforts, the whole at last is gorged ; 

 and now the bloated monster quietly seeks his ac- 

 customed retreat, and coiling himself round, sinks 

 into a torpid state, which continues for a month ; 

 when, reanimated and with renewed vigour he leaves 

 his lair, and issues forth to lurk again in ambush, 

 and seize another victim. 



Not only quadrupeds, but even large fishes fall a 

 prey to these serpents ; they dart upon the latter as 

 they approach the surface of the water, and drag 

 them ashore. The Boidae indeed swim with great 

 rapidity ; but they climb trees, and, as Hernan- 

 dez says, vibrate to and fro, being fixed by the 

 tail to a branch, " snatching men and boys and other 

 animals of that kind, and sometimes devouring 

 them whole." 



The species of the restricted genus Boa are all 

 natives of the tropical regions of America, and are 

 characterized by the plates on the under surface of 

 the tail being single. All are most beautifully 

 coloured, and gleam in the sun. 

 Among the principal species are the following: — 



2262.— The Emperor Boa 



(Boa constrictor). Le Devin, Daudin ; Constrictor 

 formosissimus ; Constrictor Rex Serpentium ; Con- 



j stricter Auspex: Constrictor Diviniloquus. The 

 latter names plainly indicate the superstitious feel- 



' ings with which it was regarded by the Mexicans. 



