SOUTH AMERICA. 
195 
In general, the skins of snakes are sent to museums third 
without the head: for when the Indians and Negroes -— 
kill a snake, they seldom fail to cut off the head, 
and then they run no risk from its teeth. When 
the skin is stuffed in the museum, a wooden head is 
substituted, armed with teeth which are large enough 
to suit a tiger's jaw; and this tends to mislead the 
spectator, and give him erroneous ideas. 
During this fray with the serpent, the old negro, 
Daddy Quashi, was in George-town procuring pro¬ 
visions, and just returned in time to help to take the 
skin off. He had spent best part of his life in the 
forest with his old master, Mr. Edmonstone, and 
amused me much in recounting their many adven¬ 
tures amongst the wild beasts. The Daddy had a 
particular horror of snakes, and frankly declared he 
could never have faced the one in question. 
The week following, his courage was put to the Attacks 
test, and he made good his words. It was a curious snake, 
conflict, and took place near the spot where I had 
captured the large snake. In the morning I had 
been following a new species of paroquet, and the 
day being rainy, I had taken an umbrella to keep the 
gun dry, and had left it under a tree ; in the after¬ 
noon I took Daddy Quashi with me to look for it. 
Whilst he was searching about, curiosity took me 
towards the place of the late scene of action. There 
was a path where timber had formerly been dragged 
along. Here I observed a young coulacanara, ten 
feet long, slowly moving onwards; I saw he was 
not thick enough to break my arm, in case he got 
