times approach the plantations and gardens of the dis- 

 tricts neareft to their refidence. 



It is happy for mankind that thefe gigantic ferpents 

 are not poifonous ; they are therefore to be dreaded 

 only on account of their vaft fize and ftrength, which 

 latter is fo great as to enable them to kill cattle, deer, 

 and other animals by writhing themfeives round them, 

 fo as to crulh them to death by mere prellure ; after 

 ■which they fwallow them in a very gradual manner, 

 and when thus gorged with their prey, grow almoft 

 torpid with repletion • and if difcovcred in this ftate 

 may without much difficulty be difpatched by mooting 

 or by other methods. 



Conftdered as one of the great deftroyers of the 

 animal world, this ferpent muft be viewed with horror; 

 but if we take into confideration only its form and 

 colors, we cannot deny it a very great fhare of external 

 beauty* like many of its tribe, it is apt to vary in color, 

 and appears in a more or lefs vivid ftate according to 

 the period of life in which it happens to be found * but 

 it is generally of a grcyifh color, variegated on the back 

 and iides in the moft curious manner with large oblong 

 patches and fpots of bright reddifh brown, which are 

 ftill further decorated by having black margins, fur- 

 rounded both internally and externally with ftreaks of 

 white and yellow : the belly is commonly of a yellow- 

 ifh white. 



It was in all probability an enormous fpecimen of 

 this very ferpent that once difTufed fo violent a terror 

 amongft the moft valiant of mankind, and threw a 

 whole Roman army into difmay. Hiftorians relate 



this 



