430 



HISTORY OF FROGS LIZARDS, AND SERPENTS. 



in this report, as many of the missionaries 

 affirm the same ; and we have the concurrent 

 testimony of historians as a further proof. 

 The largest animal of this kind which has 

 been brought into Europe, is but thirty-six 

 feet long ; and it is probable (hat much greater 

 have been seen and destroyed before they were 

 thought worth sending so far to satisfy Euro- 

 pean curiosity. The most usual length, how- 

 ever, of the Liboya, is about twenty feet, and 

 the thickness in proportion. The teeth are 

 small in proportion to the body ; nor are they 

 used but when it seizes the smallest prey. It 

 lies in wait for wild animals near the paths, 

 and when it throws itself upon them, it wraps 

 them round so closely as to break all the 

 bones; then moistening the whole body over 

 with its slaver, it makes it fit for deglutition, 

 and swallows it whole. 



The Boiguaca is supposed to be the next in 

 .magnitude, and has often been seen to swal- 

 low a goat whole. It is thickest in the mid- 

 dle of the body, and grows shorter and smaller 

 towards the head and the tail : on the middle 

 of the back there is a chain of small black 

 spots running along the length of it; and on 

 each side there are large, round, black spots, 



the species of this genus is the Javan snake, which is as 

 large as any boa. It inhabits the rice fields of Java, and 

 feeds usually on birds, rats, &o. Its bite is not venom- 

 ous. The following cut represents a Python, called 



Peron's Python. 



The Bungai. like the boa, have simple plates under 

 the belly and under the tail. They inhabit the East 

 Indies, where they are called Rock-Serpents. Their 

 length is about seven feet. The following cut represents 



d Banded Bungarum. 



The Hydras have the posterior part of the body and 

 tail very much compressed, and greatly raised in the 

 vertical direction, which, giving them the faculty of 

 swimming, constitutes them aquatic animals. They are 



common in some latitudes of the Indian seas. The 

 above is a figure of the Spiral Hydra. 



at some distance from each other, which are 

 white in the centre; between these, near the 

 belly, there are two rows of lesser black spots, 

 which run parallel to the back. It has a 

 double row of sharp teeth in each jaw, of a 

 white colour, and shining like mother-of-pearl. 

 The head is broad ; and over the eyes it is 

 raised into two prominences ; near the ex- 

 tremity of the tail there are two claws, resem- 

 bling those of birds. 



These serpents lie hid in thickets, from 

 whence they sally out unawares, and, raising 

 themselves upright on their tails, will attack 

 both men and beasts. They make a loud hissing 

 noise when exasperated ; and sometimes wind- 

 ing up trees, will dart down upon travellers, 

 and twist themselves so closely round theii 

 bodies, as to despatch them in a very few 

 minutes. Condamine, however, affirms that 

 their bite is not dangerous ; for though the 

 teeth are so large as to inspire the beholdei 

 with terror, yet the wound they make is 

 attended with no dangerous consequences 

 whatever. Dellon affirms, that they gener- 

 ally haunt desert places ; and though they are 

 sometimes seen near great towns, or on the 

 banks of rivers, yet it is generally after some 

 great inundation : he never saw any but what 

 were dead ; and they appeared to him like 

 the trunk of a great tree lying on the ground, 



To this class of large serpents we niay refer 

 the Depona, a native of Mexico, with a very 

 large head and great jaws. The mouth is 

 armed with cutting crooked teeth, among 

 which there are two longer than the rest, 

 placed in the fore part of the upper jaw, but 

 very different from the fangs of the viper. All 

 round the mouth there is a broad scaly border; 

 and the eyes are so large, that they give it a 

 very terrible aspect. The forehead is covered 

 with very large scales ; on which are placed 

 others that are smaller, curiously ranged : 

 those on the back are grayish, and along it 

 runs a double chain, whose ends are joined in 

 the manner of a buckler. Each side of the 

 belly is marbled with large square spots, of a 

 chestnut colour, in the middle of which is a 

 spot which is round and yellow. They avoid 

 the sight of man ; and, consequently, never , 

 do much harm. 



Such are the most noted animals of the 

 serpent tribe; but to recount all, would be a 

 vain, as well as useless, endeavour. In those 

 countries where they abound, their discrimina- 

 tions are so numerous, and their colours so 

 various, that every thicket seems to produce a 

 new animal. The same serpent is often found 

 to bring forth animals of eight or ten differ- 

 ent colours ; and the naturalist who attempts 

 to arrange them by that mark,, will find that 

 he has made distinctions which are entirely 

 disowned by Nature : however, a very con 



