48 
SWALLOWING OF A GOAT. 
destroy the goat much in the same manner as he had the duck, by 
throwing the weight of his body on its neck. The goat was eight 
minutes dying, but was so entirely overwhelmed by the power of the 
snake, that it could not even struggle. 
The snake did not attempt to change his posture for some minutes 
after the goat was dead. At length he gradually slackened his 
folds, and then disengaged them one by one, with great caution 
and slowness, as if to ascertain whether the goat retained any power 
of motion ; and having entirely disentangled himself, prepared to 
swallow it by placing himself opposite to its head, and feeling it with 
his mouth. While doing this, saliva flowed abundantly over his jaws, 
but he made no attempt to besmear his prey. In a few minutes he 
took its nose into his mouth, and endeavoured to draw the head after 
it : but this appeared to be no easy task. The dilatation of his throat 
seemed to begin with difficulty, as he was at least one-third of the 
time consumed in gorging the goat, in getting down the head and 
horns. These diverged at a considerable angle, and were four inches 
in length. Having conquered them, he grappled with the shoulders, 
which he was some time in mastering ; but readily overcame the 
remainder of the body. In drawing the goat into his swallow, he 
appeared to work himself unto it, opening his mouth as wide as 
possible, and forcing it onwards. Whatever progress he thus made, 
was preserved by strong recurved teeth which permitted the animal 
to pass down his throat, but prevented its regurgitation without his 
will. The act of swallowing was also much aided, I suspect, by the 
pressure of the air on the goat’s body, as a deep inspiration accom- 
panied every successive attempt to draw it down his throat. * He 
was two hours and five minutes in gorging the whole animal. 
The appearance of the snake, when in the act of swallowing the 
shoulders of the goat, was very hideous. He seemed to be suf- 
fering strangulation. His cheeks, immensely dilated, appeared to 
* That inspiration assists the deglutition of snakes, is also mentioned by Lacepede, in 
his Histoire Naturelle des Serpens. Tom. ii. p. 362. 
