502 MESSES. MOLE AWD URICH ON THE [Juue 19, 



When the snake is in motion, however, if he can be induced to 

 move in sunlight he presents a remarkably beautiful appearance. 

 The dull dark brown seems to change to a rich mosaic, over which 

 shimmers a lovely bluish iridescence as he wends his sinuous way 

 along the branches. Each scale is of a dark brown colour at the 

 extremity furthest froui its attachment to the skin, but under- 

 neath, where they are overlapped by the other scales, they are 

 pale or bright yellow. The ventral scales are dark brown and 

 rich yellow, sometimes punctured with black. 



These snakes have very large and prominent eyes %A'ith a vertical 

 pupil. Their teeth are numerous, long, and sharp, and when dis- 

 turbed the snakes are always ready to bite, throwing their heads 

 forward with a ferocious lunge, w^hich is very formidable to those 

 unused to snakes' ways ; but they are not at all sure of their aim, 

 and their widely distended jaws can be easily avoided. They rarely 

 if ever retreat when threatened. This makes their capture very 

 easy, and the boys who catch them do so by advancing upon them 

 boldly, presenting to them the palm of the open hand, fingers and 

 thumb erect and close together. The snalce thrusts forward its 

 muzzle to examine the strange object, and the boy simply closes 

 his hand and secures its head. The re]5tile can then be dis- 

 entangled from the branches and placed in a bag. This snake is 

 known in Trinidad as " Cascabel Dormillon," which is patois for 

 " sleeping rattlesnake " — Cascabel being the name given by the 

 A''enezuelan Spaniards to Crotalus Jiorndiis. The species is 

 frequently found in bamboo clumps, and in bushes in the vicinity 

 of or overhanging streams. They feed principally upon birds and 

 rats, and are often met in the trees on the banks of the Caroni 

 river, where no doubt the Porcupine Eat, Loncheres cfuiance (Thos.), 

 is its chief food. 



Boa constrictoe. 



Boa Constrictors in Trinidad are known as " Macajuel " or 

 " Macacouile," and tremendous stories are told of the enormous 

 dimensions they are supposed to attain. Mr. A. B. Carr of 

 Caparo, a very careful observer, who has seen and caught many of 

 these reptiles, says that the largest he has ever seen was a female 

 Hi feet long. It contained 41 eggs. We have frequently seen 

 them 6, 8, and 10 feet, and one in our possession now, which 

 came from Chaguaramas, and the dimensions of which were taken 

 the day after its purchase, measured from tip of nose to extremity 

 of tail 10 feet 6 inches, but it is probable that it is at least 6 

 inches longer, as the difficulty of getting it to remain quiet ^Ya.s 

 very great, and it could not be pulled out straight. It was 

 15| inches in circumference at the thickest part of the body. Its 

 head measured 4 inches long ; the circumfer«nce of the head at 

 the widest part was 8 inches ; the tail from anus to tip was 

 11 1 inches; and it weighed 50 lbs. exactly. It is probable that 

 Boas (in Trinidad, at any rate) never exceed 12 feet. Boas are 

 frequently found in trees, but we have never heard of large ones 



