APPENDIX. 501 



call Romero de la Mar. It puts foi'th its leaves in tasseled 

 tufts, and produces small yellow flowers. I sent and pro- 

 cured the plant. R. H." This plant, which is common to 

 the sea-coast throughout the tropics, presents some ano- 

 malies in its structure, which render it very difficult to 

 classify. 



IV. 



Viviparous generation of the Yellow Boa {CJiilabothrus 

 inornatus), p. 323. — The case of the Boa which produced 

 in captivity twenty-three living young ones (not eleven, as 

 stated by mistake in the text) appeared to me so anoma- 

 lous, that I sought a further verification of the circum- 

 stance. Mr. Hill accordingly obtained from his informant 

 the following clear and interesting details of the matter, 

 "which render the fact indubitable, however strange. 



" Cumberland Pen, [Jamaica,] 

 8th May, 1851. 



" My dear Mr. Hill, 



" According to your desire I sit down to give you 

 the particulars of tlie Yellow Snake, that I told you had 

 produced young in my possession. 



" It was on the 3rd of July, 1849, that I caught the 

 Snake, on a sunny bank at Halfway-tree Pen (its compa- 

 nion, the larger of the two, escaped, and I lost it in the 

 grass). I put it into a box with a wire front, and with it 

 imprisoned a mouse and two ground-lizards : the Snake 

 made no attempt upon the lives of its fellow prisoners, 

 who were fortunate enough to regain their liberty in a 

 week or two. 



" I could never induce the Snake to eat, though I offered 

 it everything I could think of; and it was more savage 

 than most others, and bit me several times, each bite 

 drawing blood like a severe scratch from a cat. 



