]^g SNAKES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



are capable of causing death. In this way, if they wished to kill at once 

 they did so; or they could prolong: life for a year by binding to the waist 

 a live serpent, which was believed to be the devil, or at least his substance. 

 This office was general throughout the land. 



An Englishman writing in 1819-1822 '■■ says : 



Their serpents, however, attain an enormous size: the largest are those 

 of the Boa species (Constrictor), and will devour a horse or a cow at a 

 meal.'= Of this genus there is one variety very beautifully marked, which 

 frequents the houses, and is called by the Spaniards (Culebra casera), 

 the house snake,"" and by the Indians "Sawa." These are often seen from 

 10 to 12 feet in length, but are very harmless. Few houses are without 

 one or more of them in the cellars, stables, &c. but they are seldom dis- 

 turbed, as they are said to devour rats and other noxious animals; though, 

 when these fail them, they attack fowls, or even goats. They form a 

 favourite article of food with the Chinese, who keep them in jars to fatten, 

 and the Indians may be often seen carrying them through the streets for 

 sale. 



Of other varieties they have great numbers; some of which, as the 

 "dahun-palay" or leaf of rice, of a deep green and yellow, which frequents 

 the rice fields, and the "mandadalag," or whip-snake, are excessively venom- 

 ous: accidents from these animals are not, however, very frequent; from 

 whence it may be concluded, that the superstition of the natives has greatly 

 exaggerated the number of venomous ones : 



Aduarte f writing in 1690 says : 



When he (Fray Juan Naya) was living in the district of Ytabes, in 

 a village of that province named Tuao, he was once burying a dead man 

 in the cemetery when a venomous snake came out from the grass and, 

 amid the noise and alarm of the people, entered between his leg and his 

 breeches — which was an easy thing for the snake to do, since these gar- 

 ments are worn loose in this province, and resemble polairuis."- Although 

 the Indians, who knew how poisonous the snake was, cried out and gave 

 him over for dead, father Fray Juan continued with the act which he 

 was performing, because of his duty as a religious, until he had finished 

 burying the Indian; and then, putting his hand in his breeches, he caught 

 the snake by the neck and drew it out and threw it away, ^^^thout receiving 

 any harm from it. 



* Remarks on the Philippine Islands and on their capital Manila, 1S19- 

 1822. By an Englishman. From Blair and Robertson, op. cit. 51 (1907) 

 142. 



" It is said by the Indians. [Footnote in Blair and Robertson.] 

 "" Perhaps Boa hortulana? [Footnote in Blair and Robertson.] 

 •f Historia de la Provincia del Santo Rosario de la Orden de Predica- 

 dores, by Diego Aduarte, O. P. translated by Blair and Robertson, op. cit. 

 32 (1905) 107, 108. 



'•' A sort of trousers, generally made of cloth, covering the legs as far 

 as the knees, buttoned or hooked together on the outside. It has also a 

 dust-guard, which extends to the shoe. It is mainly used by laborers, 

 carriers, and the like. (Dominguez's Diccionario Nacional.) [Footnote 

 in Blair and Robertson.] 



