BOA 



BOA 



snakes, is occasionally eaten by the In- 

 dians. 



BOA canina, a highly beautiful snake, 

 measuring about four feet in length, and 

 being of moderate size or thickness in 

 proportion : the head is large, and shaped 

 like that of a dog ; the colour of the 

 whole animal on the upper parts is a most 

 ii Saxon-green, with several short, 

 undulating, transverse white bars down 

 ok, the edges of which are of a 

 deeper or stronger green than the ground 

 colour of the body : the under or abdo- 

 minal part is white. This species is a na- 

 tive of SoutL America. In the British 

 Museum is an elegant specimen. See 

 Plate Serpentes, fig. 3. 



BOA phrygia. Among the whole ser- 

 pent tribe, it may be doubted whether 

 there exists a species more truly elegant 

 than the present. Its general size seems 

 to be nearly that of the boa canina, but its 

 length is rather greater in proportion : 

 the ground colour of the whole animal is 

 white, with a very slight cast of yellowish 

 brown on the back, while along the whole 

 upper part is disposed a continued series 

 of black variegations, so conducted as to 

 bear a striking resemblance to an embroi- 

 dery in needle-work : the head is of the 

 same form with that of the boa canina, 

 and marked by three narrow black streaks, 

 which, running along* the top of the head 

 and the cheeks, join with the embroider- 

 ed pattern of the back. 



BOA hortulana, is of a moderate size, 

 measuring only a few feet in length, and 

 being of a slender form ; has obtained its 

 Linnaean title from the singular variega- 

 tions on the head, which are of a blackish 

 brown, on a pale ferruginous or yellow- 

 ish ground, and in some degree represent 

 the form of a parterre in an old-fashioned 

 garden : the variegations on the body are 

 of similar colour, and are disposed into 

 large circular, and sometimes angular, 

 patches on the sides. 



1$o\fasciata. It is to Dr. Patrick Rus- 

 sel that we owe the knowledge of this re- 

 markable species, which is a native of In- 

 dia, and is said to be most frequent in the 

 country of Bengal. It is of a yellow co- 

 lour, marked with pretty numerous dusky 

 bine transverse bands, continued at equal 

 distances : the head is rather small, and 

 covered in front with large scales : the 

 body is of a trigonal form, the sides slop- 

 ing very considerably ; the whole length 

 of the animal is something more than five 

 feet ; the diameter, in the thickest part, 

 .being nearly five inches; the length of 

 the tail five inches only, and its termina- 



tion rather obtuse. This snake is among- 

 the number of poisonous species ; and its 

 bite is considered by the Indians as inevi- 

 tably fatal. A specimen was brought to 

 Dr. Russel in the month of November, 

 1788, in an apparently w T eak and languid 

 state, having been bruised in taking. Be- 

 ing set at liberty in a room, it crept slow- 

 ly towards an obscure corner, where a 

 chicken being presented to him, he took 

 no particular notice of it, and even suf- 

 fered the bird to stand on his back. As 

 he shewed no disposition to bite, his jaws 

 were forcibly opened, and the thig-h of 

 the chicken being placed between them, 

 the mouth was so closed over it as to 

 oblig-e the fangs to act. The bird, when 

 disengaged, shewed immediately symp- 

 toms of poison ; and after several ineffec- 

 tual efforts to rise, rested with the beak 

 on the ground, the head being seized with 

 trembling. In the space of 20 minutes 

 it laid down on one side, and convulsions 

 soon supervening, it expired within 26 

 minutes from the bite. 



BOAR. See Strs. 



BOARD, among- seamen. To go aboard, 

 signifies to go into the ship. To slip by 

 the board, is to slip down by the ship's 

 side. Board and board, is when two 

 ships come so near as to touch one ano- 

 ther, or when they lie side by side. To 

 make a board, is to turn to windward ; and 

 the longer your boards are, the more you 

 work into the wind. To board it up, is 

 to beat it up sometimes upon one tack, 

 and sometimes upon another. She makes 

 a good board, that is, the ship advances 

 much at one tack. The weather board, 

 is that side of the ship which is to wind- 

 ward. 



BOARDING a ship, is entering an ene- 

 my's ship in a fight. In boarding a ship, 

 it is best to bear up directly with him, 

 and to cause all your ports to leeward to 

 be beat open ; then bring as many guns 

 from your weather side, as you have 

 ports for ; and laying the enemy's ship 

 on board, loof for loof, order your tops 

 and yards to be manned, and furnished 

 with necessaries ; and let all your small 

 shot be in readiness ; then charge at 

 once, with both small and great, and at 

 the same time enter your men under co- 

 ver of the smoke, either on the bow of 

 your enemy's ship, or bring your mid- 

 ship close up with her quarter, and so 

 enter your men by the shrouds : or if you 

 would use your ordnance, it is best to 

 board your enemy's ship athwart her 

 hawse ; for, in that case, you may use 

 most of your great guns, and she only 



