VIZCACHA-HUNTING AND GIANT SNAKES 403 



away, lay a huge boa emitting a hiss that resembled a jet of 

 escaping steam. Why we had not seen it before is hard 

 to understand, as it lay fully exposed on the bare ground; 

 but probably it was because the great reptile had lain 

 motionless. Now it was slowly crawling, and the broad, 

 mottled back glistened beautifully in the sunlight, with a 

 purple iridescent sheen. We poked, and finally touched it, 

 but as it did not resent these advances we took its picture; 

 then it seemed to grow weary of our attentions and made 

 for the nearest hole, whereupon we shot it. Upon taking 

 the snake to the village the natives told us that they were 

 very abundant and lived down in the burrows with the 

 vizcachas. During the cold season they crawl out at noon 

 for a sun-bath, but are very sluggish. Subsequently, we 

 saw many more, and even kept a number of them alive; 

 they grew tame and friendly almost at once and never at- 

 tempted to bite. 



There are two distinct species, namely: the boa-con- 

 strictor, or land-snake; and the anaconda, which spends 

 the greater part of its life in and near water. This latter 

 attains the greater length. A fully grown boa-constrictor 

 does not exceed twelve feet in length; ten or eleven feet is 

 the usual size attained. There is a great difference in the 

 tempers of the two species. A boa soon becomes very tame, 

 and in many places the natives keep them running at large 

 in the huts to catch rats. The anaconda is of a restless 

 disposition and easily irritated. Both will bite if annoyed, 

 and while they are not poisonous, they hold very tight with 

 the strong, curved teeth so that if one tried to pull away 

 from them the flesh would probably be torn to shreds. 



Of course it is a well-known fact that snakes are descen- 

 dants of the lizards; they have lost their legs, but in the 

 boa two good-sized claws are still found on the under-side, 

 near the tail, extending out a little distance from between 

 the plates. 



We collected a number of the giant reptiles for their 

 skins. Skinning a boa-constrictor is not an easy undertaking. 



