Boa- Constrictors of British Guiana. 305 



Before leaving the subject of the anaconda, it is perhaps 

 worthy of mention that, among many of the common people, 

 there seems to be a belief in the efficacy of the oil obtained 

 from its fat for the treatment of rheumatic and such-like 

 pains, just as there is also in the case of the fat of the electric 

 eel. The shocks from living electric eels are equally believed 

 in by the East-Indian immigrants as curative of such paias. 



Very different in appearance from the water-boa is the 

 common land-boa or land-camoodie [Boa constrictor) . The 

 body is crossed by a series of purplish or reddish-brown irre- 

 gular or biconcave saddles, connected at the sides and enclosing 

 between them lighter oval or irregular patches, which are 

 usually emarginate in front and behind. Along the sides, 

 arranged transversely, there are elongated or oval purplish 

 patches with lighter centres. The head, too, is much more 

 angular and wedge-shaped, and the scales on top are extremely 

 small and fine. 



The general colouring is very variable in this species, 

 whether the individuals be young or old, being at times very 

 dark and intense, and at others quite pale, independent of the 

 brightness and iridescence which always accompanies exuvia- 

 tion. These are the snakes usually taken for performances 

 in menageries and circuses ; but it may be doubted whether 

 they are as suitable for the purpose as the water-boas, which, 

 when regularly fed and supplied with water, are altogether 

 more quiet and sluggish. 



The largest specimen of this snake taken in the colony to 

 my knowledge measured just over 14 feet; but much larger 

 are said to occur, a length given by one bushman being 

 26 feet. As the latter specimen, however, was not secured, 

 the apparent size may well have been considerably larger 

 than the actual. Snakes of from 8 to 12 feet are not of 

 common occurrence, but they are occasionally met with. 

 Smaller specimens are more common. 



It is somewhat curious that this is the only species which 

 in confinement has ever, to the writer's knowledge, directly 

 attacked other snakes. Accidental cases of the swallowing of 

 one boa by another, as recently hai^pened in the Zoological 

 Gardens of London, are well known to be due to the fact of 

 two snakes attempting to swallow the same object. Such an 

 attempt will very frequently be witnessed among young 

 snakes in general when they have not been fed for some time, 

 and, in fact, almost invariably happens where several 

 specimens are kept together. In the cases referred to, 

 however, the attack was direct. In one, as reported in this- 

 journal (' Timehri,' 1887, p. 133), a young boa of 3 feet in 



Ann. dc Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 7. Vol. \. 23 



