86 THE GREAT BOA. 



America, where it chiefly resides in most retired 

 situations in woods and marshy retreats*. 



A gentleman, who had some large concerns in 

 America, assures us of the enormous length of 

 these animals, and informs that he one day sent 

 out a soldier, with an Indian, to kill some wild 

 fowl ; and, in pursuing their game, the Indian, who 

 generally went before, beginning to tire, sat down 

 upon what he supposed to be the fallen trunk of a 

 tree. But the monster beginning to move, the poor 

 fellow perceived what it was that he had thus ap- 

 proached, and dropped down in an agony. The 

 soldier, who, at some distance, saw what had hap- 

 pened, levelled his piece at the serpent's head, and, 

 by a lucky aim, shot it dead ; and, going up to the 

 relief of his companion, found that he was also 

 dead from his fright. On his return, he related 

 w r hat had happened : the animal was ordered to be 

 brought, and it was found to be thirty-six feet long. 

 The skin was stuffed, and sent to the cabinet of 

 the Prince of Orange. 



In the island of Java we are assured that one of 

 these monsters has been known to kill and devour 

 a buffalo. In a letter, printed in the German. 

 Ephemerides, we have an account of a combat be- 

 tween an enormous serpent and a buffalo, by a per- 

 son who assures us that he was himself a spectator. 

 The serpent had, for some time, been waiting near 

 the brink of a pool, hf expectation of its preys 



* Shaw's Gsn. Zoo\, vol. iii. 



