212 Zoologica: N. Y. Zoological Socie(2f [I; H 



hunting dog and the dog's owner was so afraid that it would kill the 

 beast, ('it had lapped it up', he said), that he destroyed the snake. 

 It was a wonderful specimen, and I told him that it was worth forty 

 of his wretched curs, such as are used by the peasantry in what they 

 call hunting." 



As captives the various species of New World Boidae are fairly 

 hardy; the species of Boa, Epicrates and Cor alius feeding readily 

 upon rodents and birds, although members of the last-named, arbo- 

 real genus prefer birds to other prey. The anaconda does not feed so 

 readily, and when it does, our specimens prefer fowl. There is often 

 great difficulty in inducing freshly-caught, adult examples to feed. 

 While the majority of the New World Boidae will feed at any time of 

 the day, we have found those anacondas under observation that were 

 inclined to feed, to be particularly disposed to take their prey at night 

 and a few specimens have been induced to feed only at such times. 

 These habits do not pertain to very young examples of the species, 

 two large litters of which we have studied in rearing. The very 

 young snakes, voracious at all times, appear to prefer birds. 



The writer's observations of the Old World Boidae are fairly 

 complete, having embraced the following species: 



Regal Python, Python reticulatus Malaysia 



Indian Python, Python molurus ! India 



Rock Python, Python sebse Africa 



Royal Python, Python regius Africa 



Diamond Python, Python spilotes Australia 



Carpet Python, Python variegata . . . . Australia 



Tree Boa, Corallus madagascariensis .... Madagascar 



Sand Boa, Eryx johnii India 



Sand Boa, Eryx conicus India 



The food of Python reticulatus is particularly interesting, as 

 this species attains the greatest length and bulk of any known serpent. 

 About a dozen of these superb reptiles have been under the writer's 

 observation, and while the food of the species may be said to consist 

 of various mammals and birds, there is a marked individuality among 

 captive specimens in the preference of different types of food. 



From repeated examinations of the crates of newly arrived 

 specimens of P. reticulatus, both at the Park and among the several 

 large animal dealers, the writer is convinced that the big specimens 



