THE BOA-CONSTRICTORS. 307 
Teguexin Lizards have sometimes been grasped while 
moving about (after having been in the same cage for 
months or years), being mistaken, by contaét, for the rats 
whose squeak had been heard. 
It would appear that this acuteness of hearing, as com- 
pared with sight, has been brought about by the condi- 
tions of life in the water, in which sound would play a 
very large part in notifying the approach or presence of 
animals. In the land and tree boas, as in snakes gene- 
rally, the sense of sight is much more acute. 
Sight no doubt, even in the anaconda, must be of 
great importance, since the recolle€tion or remembrance 
of surroundings would presumably depend on this faculty. 
A noteworthy example of this may be given in the case 
of a small specimen of about 8 feet, which, when placed 
on the Museum floor while its cage was being cleaned, 
after a time found out and occupied a dark recess—where 
it was entirely hidden from observation—some distance 
away, and reached by a circuitous route between the 
exhibition cases on the floor. More or less time was occu- 
pied in finding or reaching the shelter at first, but aftera 
little while, the snake invariably made for this place assoon 
as it was taken out of its exposed cage, and it was always 
found coiled up in the furthest corner from the light. 
This was the regular procedure for more than two years, 
until the cage was moved away into another room. But 
the most striking feature in the matter is that now, four 
months after the transference, it is still able to remember 
the shelter, and the way to it from its former position. 
Before leaving the subje&t of the anaconda, it is per- 
haps worthy of mention that, among many of the common 
people, there seems to be a belief in the efficacy of the 
RR 
