52 Skrpents, KEPT' 
of their appearance. The species are, generally speakin^, 
of a very somhre hue. The upper part of the body is 
of a brownish olive or blackish tint ; the under part is 
generally yellow, marked with large square spots, and 
some of the species are spotted, while others are 
adorned with rays or transverse bands. The young 
are usually marked with more lively colours than the 
adults. 
THE LARGE-CHEEKED HOMALOPSIS {Homalopds 
huccata) — fig. 14 — is one of the most characteristic 
species of the group, and one of the best known. 
This serpent attains the length of four feet, and a cir- 
cumference of an inch and a half. The body is a little 
compressed, and the tail, which occupies about a quar- 
ter of the total length, is conical, robust, and is not 
distinct from the trunk, which, however, becomes con- 
siderably more slender towards the posterior extremity. 
The head is broad at the base, extremely thick, high, 
conical. The muzzle is short, and truncate at the tip. 
The muscles connected with the jaws are well deve- 
loped, and the salivary glands are very large. This 
produces a swelling in the region of the cheeks, which 
are very projecting, and gives the head a heart-shape 
that causes it to resemble that of the vipers. Indeed 
FiR. 14. 
The Large-cheeked llomalopsis (llomalopsis buccata). 
this serpent has been described as venomous, and some 
authors have, on account of the viperine aspect of the 
head, actually placed it amongst the truly venomous 
species. The teeth too of this Ophidian are much 
more curved posteriorly than in ordinary cases, and at 
the posterior part of the jaw they show a grooved or 
furrowed structure, which has given rise to strong sus- 
picions as to its venomous nature. ISchlegel, however, 
asserts that all the species of this group are innocuous. 
It was considered at one time that this serpent was 
peculiar to Java, where it was oilginally found inhabit- 
ing the large fresh-water lakes in tlie western parts of 
that island. Besides Java, however, it lias been found 
in Bengal and Sumatra. 
THE ‘WAMPUM SHAKE {Fai'ancia fasciatci) is another 
species of this group, but instead of inhabiting Asia is 
found in America It attains a length of near five feet, 
and a circumference of three and a half inches. The 
body is elongated and almost cylindrical, tapering 
only towards the commencement of the tail, which is 
remarkably short, conical, and terminates ratherabruj)!!}' 
in a slight point. It is of a bluish-black colour above, 
the sides being marked with tiansverse blotches of 
bright red. A sjiecimen was kept alive in the menagerie 
of the Garden of Plants at Paris for fifteen months, but 
during the whole of that time it could not bo induced 
to take any nourishment which was presented to it. It 
is a native of North America, being found in Louisiana 
and South Carolina. Catesby was one of the first 
ILES. Boas. 
authors to make this species known. He says it “ re- 
ceives its name from the resemblance it has to Indian 
money called wampum^ which is made of shells cut 
into regular pieces, and strung wiih a mixture of blue 
and white. Some of diese snakes are large, being five 
feet in length ; yet there is no harm in their bite ; but 
as all the largest snakes are venomous, so will they 
devour what animals they are able to overcome.” 
Family II. — BOAS {Boidee). 
The family of Boas (Boidm) contains a considerable 
number of species, upwards of forty being described in 
the Museum catalogue. They are, generally speaking, 
the largest of all the serpent tribe, and are characterized 
by several very distinctive marks. The greater number 
of them have, in the proper signification of the word, a 
prehensile tail, which, though short, is excellently fitted 
for grasping branches of trees or other such objects. 
They possess rudimentary hinder extremities, which 
are developed under the skin. These consist of several 
small bones, which terminate in a horny spur not unlike 
the spurs of the common fowl, and which penetrate the 
skin and project externally a little in front of the vent. 
The body is particularly well organized for twisting and 
twining round other bodies ; and the scales which cover 
it are small and numerous. As they advance upwards 
upon the head and forwards upon the belly, it causes 
the abdominal plates to be small and very narrow, and 
those on the head to be of a less regular form than in 
most others of the Colubrine order. 
According to Pliny and some later authors, the name 
Boa is derived from the Latin word bos, an ox, because 
they believed that the young reptiles were in the habit 
of following the cattle in the fields, and living on the 
milk of cows. This fable is not the only one that is cur- 
rent in early writers concerning these huge creatures as 
is the case for instance with regard to their size. Aris- 
totle speaks of African serpents of such a length as to 
be able to overturn a galley with three oars. Pliny 
tells us of an Indian species swallowing large stags and 
bulls. Elian mentions huge serpents of from eighty to 
one hundred cubits in length, and Suetonius asserts 
that there was exhibited at Borne, under Augustus 
Cffisar, a living serpent fifty cubits in lengih. Modern 
travellers and writers are not much behind these 
ancient authors in their marvellous tales of the size of 
the Boas. George Andersen, in his “ Travels in the 
East,” tells us that in the island of Java there are ser- 
pents large enough to swallow men entire. Baldseus, 
in his “Description of Ceylon” informs us that he found 
serpents there, eight, nine, and ten ells long (from thirty 
to thirty-six feet), but that there are much larger ones 
in Java, as well as in Banda, where one was taken 
which had swallowed a stag, and another which had 
swallowed a woman entire. Charles Owen, in his 
“ Natural History of Serpents,” says, that in Batavia 
there are serpents fifty feet in length. Marco Polo 
tells us in his “ Travels,” that in the island of Carajan 
very large serpents are seen, ten paces in length, and 
ten hands-breadtlis in circumference. Father Gumilla, 
in his “ History of Orinoko,” mentions the occurrence 
there of serpents upwards of forty feet long. Bosman, 
