44 A BOA 



handsome brown serpent on the grass close to the path. I got 

 down, not to kill it, but to examine its beautiful markings and 

 graceful movements ; but on getting near it, which was not 

 easy to do, as its movements were so rapid, it turned and faced 

 me in a menacing fashion. Happily, although there are many 

 species of serpents in Madagascar, not one is a venomous kind 

 that is, their bite is not fatal. At the same time there are some 

 kinds which will bite severely if attacked. Later on, I saw 

 another much smaller snake, of a bright green colour, on the 

 trunk of a tree ; doubtless its tints were protective. The larger 

 one I saw is called Mdndotra, and was from three to four feet 

 long ; another species found on the coast is called Mdntangora, 

 and is a foot or more longer. 



While on the subject of serpents, I will add here some parti- 

 culars my friend, Mr Houlder, gives of yet another of these 

 reptiles seen on this east coast, but farther north. This kind is 

 called Akbma (Pelophilus madagascariensis), and appears to be 

 a species of boa, killing fowls, rats and other creatures first by 

 crushing them, and then covering them with saliva before 

 swallowing. At a village he stayed in, my friend found the 

 people much excited about a large serpent seen in their neigh- 

 bourhood. Sending out his men to find it, " at last the creature 

 was seen. Yes, there he was, a villainous-looking monster, 

 apparently asleep, coiled up among the bushes with his great 

 flat head in the middle of the circle. The gun was loaded with 

 several pistol bullets. Luckily it was, perhaps, for the duck- 

 shot sent into him at the next discharge only just penetrated his 

 thick scaly skin. Advancing to within a couple of yards or so, 

 I raised the gun. Bang ! Away went the onlookers for their 

 lives. Peering through the smoke which was slowly moving 

 away, I could just see the head coming towards me. Enough, 

 I bolted too. This caused a second stampede. But it was a 

 groundless alarm. I looked back, and saw that the poor 

 creature was incapable of doing serious injury. His back was 

 hopelessly broken. No other shot was necessary." Mr 

 Houlder did not get the serpent to his house without difficulty, 

 owing to the terror of the bearers even when it was dead. " It 

 was a medium-sized specimen, about nine feet long anfl as 

 thick round the middle as the calf of a man's leg. On each side 

 of its body was a long yellow, black, and reddish chain-like 



