MAGNITUDE OF SNAKES. 



627 



themselves useful or agreeable to man. Thus the rat-suake of Ceylon ( Coryphodon 

 Blumenhachii)^ in consideration of its services in destroying vermin, is often kept as a 

 household pet, and so domesticated by the natives as to feed at their table. The beau- 

 tiful coral snake {Elaps corallinus) is fondled by the Brazilian ladies, but the domes- 

 tication of the dreaded cobras as protectors in the place of dogs, is still more remark- 

 able. They glide about the house, going in and out at pleasure, a terror to thieves, 

 but never attempting to harm the inmates. 



The Tree snakes offer many beautiful examples of the adaptation of color to the 

 animal's pursuits, which we have already had occasion to admire in our brief review 

 of the tropical insect world. They are frequently of an agreeable green or bluish 

 hue, so as hardly to be distinguishable from the foliage among which they seek their 

 prey, or where they themselves are liable to be seized upon by their enemies. They 

 are often able vertically to ascend the smoothest trunks and branches, in search of 

 squirrels and lizards, or to rifle the nests of birds. 



The Water-snakes which infest some parts of the tropical seas, though far from 

 equalling in size the vast proportions of the fabulous sea-serpent, are very formidable 

 from their venomous bite. They have the back part of the body and tail very much 

 compressed and raised vertically, so as to serve them as a paddle with which they 

 rapidly cleave the waters. 



Of enormous snakes, whose dimensions exceed all credibility, the old writers are 

 full. One can there find them of any length he pleases, a few yards more or less being 

 of no consequence. Thus the famous serpent which in Africa stopped the march of 

 the Koman army of Atilius Regulus, is said to have been one hundred and twenty feet 

 in length. A recent traveler in Ceylon, while acknowledging that thirty feet was the 

 utmost for which he was prepared to vouch personally, was, as he says, credibly assured 

 that one had been lately killed which measured forty-five feet in length, with a circum- 

 ference of six feet ; and he was told of another, killed in India not long ago, which 

 attained the respectable length of sixty feet. But passing over these quite suspicious 

 narratives, we find accounts of serpents quite long enough to satisfy any reasonable 

 desire. 



Equatorial Africa appears to be a favorite abode for the serpentine family ; and if 

 any of monstrous size exist there, they could hardly escape the keen eyes of Paul du 

 Chaillu. He thus describes the death of the largest one of which we notice any 

 mention in his books:* "After resting a little while we continued our course till 

 we reached the top of a very high mountain, whence I could see all the country round. 

 I was sitting under a very large tree, when suddenly looking up, I saw an immense 

 serpent coiled upon the branch of a tree just above me. I rushed out, and taking 

 good aim with my gun, I shot my black friend in the head. He let go his hold, tum- 

 bled down with great forc3, and after writhing convulsively for a time, he lay before 

 me dead. He measured thirteen feet in length, and his ugly fangs proved that he 

 was venomous. My men cut off the head of the snake, and divided the body into as 

 many parts as there were people. Then they lighted a fire, and roasted and ate it on 

 the spot. They offered me a piece, but though I was very hungry, I declined. When 

 the snake was eaten, I was the only individual in the company that had an empty 

 stomach." 



* Stories of the Gorilla Country, 59. 



