NOTE -BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 383 



My observations agree with those of Mr. Bell in cases 

 where the snake seizes the frog by the middle of the 

 body. The serpent then turns the frog, and swallows it 

 head foremost, as the great constricting serpents do by 

 their prey when they have killed and crushed it by the 

 pressure of their enormous folds. It is curious to observe 

 the adaptation of power by these constrictors. When a 

 comparatively small boa, or python, seizes a rabbit, it 

 becomes a congeries of coils around the "victim ; a large 

 one applies one fold just sufficient to kill, without the 

 useless application of further muscular pressure. In 

 taking lizards and birds, the common snake swallows the 

 prey head foremost, for the obvious reason of security; 

 such, at least, is the result of my observation, as well as 

 that of Mr. Bell, who kept a number of these serpents, 

 one of which was an especial pet, and distinguished its 

 master from all other persons. When let out of its box 

 it would immediately go to him, and creep imder the 

 sleeve of his coat, where it would lie revelling in the 

 warmth. Every morning, at breakfast, it came to his 

 hand for its allowance of milk ; but it fled from strangers, 

 and hissed if they meddled with it. 



By the way. Major Denham, in his African Travels, 

 mentions an instance of the supposed virtues of the fat 

 of serpents, when applied to beasts. Near Lari, he and 

 his party killed an enormous snake, which he calls a 

 species of coluber — a python, probably — measuring 

 eighteen feet from the mouth to the tail. Five balls 

 entered the serpent, but it was still moving off, when two 

 Arabs, each armed with a sword, nearly severed the head 

 from the body. On opening the reptile, several pounds 

 of fat were found, and carefully taken off by the two 

 native guides. They pronounced it to be a sovereign and 

 much-prized remedy for diseased cattle. 



As I looked at the collection of venomous serpents, 

 the least of which carried death under its lips, the out-of- 



