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Show 516 MESSRS. MOLE AND UBICH ON THE [June 19, to get drowsy almost immediately. It subsequently began to pant violently, but was still drowsy. Then the tail began to twitch, also the muscles in the region of the backbone. At 8.11 convulsions set in. At 8.14 the heart had ceased beating. In biting the Coral held on for about 15 seconds. This snake subsequently died, owing to being accidently exposed by a careless porter to the sun. LACHESIS MUTA. This snake is locally called "Mapepire Zanana," because its carinated scales are thought to be somewhat of the colour and the shape of the leaf-like scales on the pineapple fruit. " The average length," says Mr. A. B. Carr, " of those 1 have met and measured accurately (about fifty) is a little under 1\ feet; the largest of these having been 8 ft. 2 in. and the shortest 6 ft. 2 in. There is an instance on record (by de Verteuil) in the island, I believe, of an 11 -footer." The Mapepire, unlike its cousin Bothrops atrox, prefers rising ground, and is often found on the crest of small hillocks, apparently because it prefers dry soil. According to Mr. Carr, the Mapepire is frequently found in holes, into which, when chased, the Lappe (Ccelogenys paca) and the Armadillo (Tatusia novemcincta) run; but rarely, if ever, is he found inhabiting the same hole (as has been for years believed) with either of these animals. Most of the bites from this snake occur at their holes. He rarely strikes without provocation, but once agitated he becomes vicious and may strike many times in succession. Dogs when hunting are bitten, and men occasionally, but seldom fatally. In a paper on Quenck, or Peccary-hunting, read before the Field Naturalists' Club, in No. 11, vol. i., Mr. Carr stated that on one occasion a pair of peccaries took refuge in the rotten trunk of a fallen balata tree. They were killed, and subsequently two more rushed out,of the trunk. The dogs went in a third time and dragged out a Mapepire about 7 feet 10 inches long. In the fight which ensued it bit four dogs, and the two last bitten died in a very few minutes, owing to the inability of their masters to capture them for treatment with local bush remedies; the first two bitten recovered. The Mapepire is a sluggish brute. On one occasion one was seen on the top of a small hillock. The man who found it went to tell M r. Carr. He was busily engaged at the time and could not go then. Subsequently he went home and had his dinner. A heavy shower of rain came on, which delayed him half an hour longer still. When he at last went he found the Mapepire as described still coiled on the ground, the water streaming down from his coils. His servant then went and cut a stick, and the snake, after all this delay of at least 2^ hours, was captured alive. Tbe Mapepire and Bothrops atrox suffer from large parasitic worms in their lungs. The young ones of L. muta are very rarely seen, while those of B. atrox are often found. The few specimens of Mapepire we have seen have not done well in captivity. |