( 465 } 
^^LLANEOUS wonders op NATURa 
serpent, called the boa constrictor. 
too, in other climes who harmless rove 
gilded scales, the guardians of the grove, 
horrid Afric’s pestt'-'ntial air 
g®<|uirc new natures f.om the burning glare ; 
2 '<lc thro’ the blaze of noon on sable wing, 
^'"ck on th’ affrighted herds with fury spring, 
nd gathering aU your folds in wreathings dire, 
^‘d the huge ox beneath yonr crush expire: 
h enormous elephant by force can slay, 
■And need no poison to secure your prey. 
■‘H. 
®®*'Pent! 
tile genus Boa is distinguished by its vast. 
Mr, ‘ deed 1 '■‘rc genua jjuji. lo uisLUJguiaiicu uy ua 
str^’ almost unlimited size, as tyell as by its pro- 
j^.^’Sth, which enables it to destroy cattle, deer, 
atound tliem in such a manner as to 
Hm^fiofit death b(y continued pressure. It also claims 
Pec other serpents by the beauty of its colours, 
p^jtiliar disposition of its variegations. The entire 
’Jd'viT animal, in the younger specimens, 
*8 d'^” Smy, and sometimes a bright yellow, on 
Of j'^Ptrsed, along the whole length of the back, 
'■'V% chain-like, reddish brown, and sometimes 
,,, Col '"^‘^tegations, leaving large open spaces of tlie 
/ f fsgolar intervals. The largest, or prin- 
^®%arisjj^°'dtposing the above chain-like pattern, are 
form, accompanied on their exterior sides by 
, with their points directed downward, 
larger marks are disposed many smaller 
p drtain forms, and more or less numerous in 
V yv The ground colour itself is also scattered 
I 1]', dtis specks of the same colour with the 
% g exterior edges of all the larger spots and 
th^ Commonly blackish, or of a much deeper 
P3rt, and the ground colour imr 
\ p^’^yrng the outward edges of the spots is, 
than on the other parts, or even whitish, 
fo'S a general richness of pattern, of wliieh 
% 8 
immc- 
on 
