584 MR. R. G. BOULEXGRR OX 



kid. The jaw was set in plaster of Paris, and the setting was 

 removed a month later. After the accident it refused to feed, 

 and in November it was decided to tempt it with something 

 alive. Live ducks were offered on two occasions in November, 

 but were not taken. In the first week of December it was once 

 more given dead food — a duck, which was immediately accepted. 

 The snake unfortunately died a few weeks later. 



3. Common Boa {Boa constrictor). 



This snake, measuring 7 ft., was presented to the Society in 

 Jul)^ 1912. It had been kept in captivity some time before its 

 arrival here, and been fed on live food only. For the first two 

 months of its captivity at the Gardens it was offered dead rats, 

 i-abbits, and pigeons, all of which were refused. As it had pre- 

 viously fed well on live animals it was, in September and October, 

 ofiered such, but they were not taken. In November dead food 

 was again offered and this time accepted, the snake feeding 

 henceforth with some regularity up to June 1913, when pneu- 

 monia caused its death. 



4. South- African House-Snake {Boodon infernaUs). 



This snake had been kept by me for two years previous to my 

 taking over the charge of the reptiles here. It had been fed 

 on live mice. On its transference to our Gardens it at once 

 took dead food. 



5. Puff Adder {Bltis arietans). 



Received in June 1911, this snake fed with some regularity on 

 dead rats up to the end of December. For the first six months 

 of 1912, however, it refused food, and as it was getting thin we 

 decided in June of that year to let it have live food. Li^'e rats 

 were accepted during pai-t of June, July, and August, and part 

 of September. Towards the end of the latter month, dead food 

 was substituted and taken, the snake feeding on dead rats to 

 within a week of its death in January 1914. 



6. BusHMASTER (Ldchesis onntios). 



This snake was presented to the Society in December 1912. 

 As I had been informed by Mr. Mole, of Trinidad, who had 

 experience of this species, that it had never been induced to take 

 dead prey, after ofiering it dead rats for three consecutive weeks, 

 I obtained the permission to give it live food. The live rats 

 were, however, likewise rejected, and the snake died in March of 

 starvation . 



7. BusHM ASTER (Lachesis mut^ts). 



This specimen, received in April 1913, was likewise offered 

 living animals after i-efusing dead food foi- some weeks. It also 

 refused to feed at all, and died in September. 



