190 STEPPES AND DESERTS. 



( 48 ) p. 24." Often covered with birds." 



The crocodiles lie so motionless that I have seen flamingos 

 (Phosnicoptems) resting on their heads; the body at the 

 same time being covered with aquatic birds, like the trunk 

 of a tree. 



() p. 24. " Down his swelling throat" 



The saliva with which the boa covers his prey hastens the 

 process of decomposition ; the muscular flesh thus becomes 

 softened into such a gelatinous state, that he can force entire 

 limbs of larger, and bodies of smaller, animals down his 

 throat without division. The Creoles call this gigantic 

 serpent from these circumstances, " Tragavenado," which 

 means " Stag swallower:" they tell fabulous stories of 

 snakes being seen with the antlers of a stag (which it was 

 impossible to swallow) sticking in their throats. I have 

 several times seen the boa swimming in the Orinoco, 

 and in the smaller forest streams, the Tuamini, the Temi 

 and the Atabapo. It holds its head above the water like a 

 dog. Its skin is finely spotted. It is said to attain a length 

 of 48 feet ; but the largest skins which have as yet been 

 brought to Europe and carefully measured do not exceed 

 21 to 23 feet. The South American boa (which is a 

 Python) differs from the East Indian. On the Ethiopian 

 boa, see Diodor. lib. iii. p. 204, ed. Wesseling. 



( 50 ) p. 25. " Using ants, gums, and earth as food" 

 It was a very prevalent report on the coasts of Cumana, 

 New Barcelona, and Caraccas, visited by the Franciscan 



