THE ANACONDA 79 



Zoological Park measured 18 feet 6 inches, and came from 

 the Berbice River, British Guiana. It is reported that in 

 the British Museum there is a stuffed specimen which is 29 

 feet long. 



In British Guiana I was assured by local hunters that the 

 "Camudie," as this serpent is commonly called, often attains 

 a length of 35 feet. There is, however, no proof that it 

 exceeds 30 feet; and any traveller or observer who has the 

 good fortune to meet with a specimen exceeding that length 

 will do well to back up his tape measure with either the 

 preserved skin or skeleton. One snake-skin is more con- 

 vincing than a hundred snake-stories. 



I believe the delta of the Orinoco is the northern limit of 

 the Anaconda, where it is called the "Culebra de Agua," 

 and regarded with profound respect. It inhabits the Gui- 

 anas and Brazil, and probably extends to the headwaters 

 of the Amazon, in eastern Peru. Of its regular food, the 

 capybara (a water-loving • rodent, as large as a good-sized 

 hog) undoubtedly stands first, followed by the tapir, otter, 

 deer and large water-birds generally. 



The Reticulated Python, 1 of the Malay Peninsula, Su- 

 matra and Borneo, is the largest serpent of the Old World, 

 and the only rival of the anaconda for first place. A sur- 

 prisingly large number of specimens of this species are cap- 

 tured alive each year, and sold to dealers in wild animals. 

 As a result, the largest serpent with which the animal-loving 

 public becomes familiar in the zoological gardens and parks 

 is this handsome Python. Specimens exceeding 20 feet in 



1 Py'thon re-tic-u-la'tus. 



