CONSTRICTOR BOA. 339 



pelled from the haunts of mankind, and driven 

 into more distant and uncultivated tracts : they 

 are still, however, occasionally seen, and some- 

 times approach the plantations and gardens of the 

 districts nearest to their residence. 



Of all the larger Boas the most conspicuous is 

 the Boa Constrictor, which is at once preeminent 

 from superiority of size and beauty of colours : in 

 this respect indeed it appears to be subject to con- 

 siderable variation from age, sex, and climate, but 

 may be distinguished in every state from the rest 

 of its tribe by the peculiar pattern or disposition of 

 its variegations. The ground-colour of the whole 

 animal, in the younger specimens, is a yellowish 

 grey, and some times even a bright yellow, on 

 which is disposed along the whole length of the 

 back a series of large, chain-like, reddish-brown, 

 and sometimes perfectly red variegations, leaving 

 large open oval spaces of the ground colour at re- 

 gular interv^als : the largest or principal marks com- 

 posing the chain-like pattern above mentioned are 

 of a squarish form, accompanied on their exterior 

 sides by large triangular spots, with their points 

 directed downwards : between these larger marks 

 are disposed many smaller ones of uncertain forms, 

 and more or less numerous in different parts : the 

 ground-colour itself is also scattered over by a 

 great many small specks of the same colour with 

 the variegations : the exterior edges of all the. 

 larger spots and markings are commonly blackish, 

 or of a much deeper cast than the middle part, 

 and the ground-colour immediately accompany- 



