34^ NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



be occasioned by a snake. Instead of jumping up and calling 

 to the sentinel for help, and perhaps treading on the snake 

 and being bitten by it, he lay perfectly still, knowing that un- 

 less disturbed the snakg would not hurt him. Presently the 

 snake drew its cold slimy body over his bare feet. There are 

 few persons who, in a similar condition, would not have drawn 

 up their legs with a start, but our hero did not even move. 

 Soon the snake began to crawl over his body and even passed 

 over his face. The poor soldier hardly dared to breathe. At 

 last the reptile coiled itself under his pillow, and when day 

 broke our soldier, seizing the stone with which he ought to 

 have blocked up the hole by which the snake entered, crushed 

 it to death. On being examined, the reptile proved to be of a 

 kind whose bite is almost invariably fatal. 



The Boa The Boa Constrictor is one of the largest of the 

 Oonstriotor. gnake kind. It is not venomous, but is possessed 

 of enormous strength which it shows by coiling itself round 

 the object of its attack and crushing it into a shapeless mass. 

 It belongs to tropical America and feeds on birds, and animals 

 of all kinds, not hesitating to attack even the larger quad- 

 rupeds. The following account from the pen of Mr. Byam 

 will give an idea of the way in which these monsters dispose 

 of their prey. 

 The Boa and ^^ Englishman and an Indian, travelling to- 



its Prey, gether through a thick forest, heard a noise like 

 the cry of a child in great pain. Pulling out their pistols, and 

 tying up their horses, they proceeded to the spot, and there 

 saw a boa crushing a young roebuck with short horns. It had 

 wound itself twice round its prey, just behind the shoulders, 

 one coil lying on the other to increase the weight, and its teeth 

 were fastened on the back of the deer's head. The tail was 

 twisted twice round a young tree close by. It was too busy to 

 observe the strangers ; and the Englishman wished to attack 

 it, and save the deer ; but the Indian walked off very gently, 

 and made signs to him to follow. When they had regained 



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