506 MESSES. MOLE AKD URicTi OX THE [June 19, 



three-quarters of an hour. This particular Anaconda refuses food 

 out of the water, but, upon a rat in a trap being held close to the 

 edge of its tank, has darted into the open door and seized the rat 

 and constricted it inside the trap, trying to drag itself back into 

 the water at the same time. After he has gorged, the part of his 

 body containing the rat is naturally much s\\'ollen and frequently 

 floats on the surface, the other portions of the snake except the 

 head being submerged. Mr. J. S. Wilson informs us he has 

 frequently seen Anacondas in the rivers of Demerara with a part 

 of their bodies floating in this manner above the surface. 



Anacondas are fond of lying on logs close to or over the water ; 

 their swallowing capacities are enormous, and they are probably 

 assisted in this by the fact that they invariably take their food in 

 the water. The one we have always knows when preparations are 

 being made to give it food, and comes up to that side of the box 

 (not always the same) it expects the rat will be driven in from. 

 Anacondas know those who feed them, but they are uncertain in 

 temper and allow very few liberties, biting when irritated with 

 amazing quickness. The Ti-inidad Anaconda is, judging from the 

 skins we have seen, identical with the Venezuelan snakes we have 

 had under observation. We also kept for some time two larger 

 specimens, each about 7 or 8 feet in length ; one of them was 

 remarkably quiet, but the other would not permit itself to be 

 handled at all, biting fiercely, and when seized by the neck 

 constricting with great strength so as to almost stop circulation in 

 hands and wrists. It also used to ball. 



Gbophis LINEATirS. 



This very handsome little ground-snake is found, as a rule, 

 tightly coiled up under stones and rubbish in yards and gardens. 

 When it has chang;ed its skin it is very iridescent. It probably is 

 never more than 12 inches in length, and specimens of this size 

 are extremely rare. It increases in numbers rapidly in the yards 

 and gardens in towns, where they are safe from their principal 

 enemies the Coral Snakes. They lay comparatively large eggs. 

 One specimen contained five eggs. 



LlOPHIS MELANOTUS. 



This little snake rarely exceeds 2 feet in length. Its back is 

 of a blue-black colour. Two longitudinal stripes run from head 

 to tail on either side. The underpart is a bright yellowish colour. 

 They are very harmless creatures, never attempting to use their 

 tiny teeth on anything but the little lizards and frogs on which 

 they feed. They sometimes constrict their prey — especially lizards, 

 when rather too large to be easily managed. One snake of this 

 species which we had for some time coustautly quarrelled with 

 other small snakes in the same box, and always threw several tiglit 

 coils round them. So savage was he towards his companions tTiat 

 he had idtimately to be kept alone. Liopliis melanotus breeds 

 freely in captivity, but we have not been able to get any of the 



