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Show 504 MESSRS. MOLE ANB URICH ON THE [June 19, Boas soon know those who feed them and get exceedingly tame. These snakes are very tenacious of life ; one which had been a long time in captivity-eight or nine months,-during which it had refused all food, had a hopeless cancer in the nose. It was deemed necessary to kill it, but as the skin was wanted uninjured it was resolved to strangle it, and a small rope was placed round its neck and drawn as tightly as two m e n could pull it. It was then hung up. At the end of two hours the snake was apparently dead. It was placed in a sack and sent to the person who wanted it. Next morning on being turned out of the sack it fiercely snapped right and left, and it was some time before it could be secured. Yet another instance. On April 9th, 1894, Mr. S. A. Cumberland asked us to assist him in poisoning a large Boa, caught on April 5th at St. Bartholomew Estate, Guanapo. At 4.55 P.M. w e injected into the animal's mouth with a syringe half an ounce of prussic acid. Beyond expelling the air from its lungs a little violently the snake seemed uninjured. Mr. Mole was holding it at the time, and it gave his leg round which it had coiled a squeeze which lasted for about 15 seconds-had it lasted longer it would soon have been unbearable. He had had considerable experience, but never felt such tremendous pressure before, and had it been round his chest he believed the result would have been serious-broken ribs at least, if not worse. At 5.15 this poisoned snake crawled round the room, curiously examining with its tongue tables, chairs, boxes, &c. It got into a corner amongst some broken furniture, from which it was taken with considerable trouble. It coiled its tail round a table-leg and was dislodged with difficulty. It then seized with its tail a heavy chair which was carried with it into the middle of the room, and it was some time before the chair could be disengaged. There being no visible signs of an immediate approach of death, 5 grains of strychnine were injected into its throat at 5.30. This brought on a strong muscular contraction, but still the animal did not knot up. At 5.45, when a gentleman present went up to its head from behind to examine it, it made a strong effort to turn round and strike but failed. A rope was then tied to its neck and it was hung up, only about a foot of its length being on the floor. At 5.50 all life was apparently extinct. After it was hung up and all movement had ceased, it was measured and found to be 10 feet 2 | inches long. Of this length the tail occupied 11| inches and the head 4 inches. Its girth was 14| inches. The weight was unfortunately not taken. EUNECTES MURINUS. This snake, known in Trinidad as the " Huilia," is the largest reptile found in the island. Specimens have been frequently killed 18 and 20 feet in length. It inhabits the rivers and lagoons on the east coast and has been found, but less seldom, at Cedros in the south-west portion. In shape it is very much like Epicrates cenchris, its neck being the same size as its head. The eyes are placed far forward and near the top of the head, so that it can lie |
