The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-02-25 00:00:00

SIXPENCE.

LITERA TURE.

Ea °pro preterin cognortere.

Hoe.

•
In our prospectus of the literature of the last )
we noticed a third volume of Doctor Shaw's G •
NEHAL ZOOLOGY," which had been publisiied d.:-
ring that period. No new volume has since ap-
peared ; but as the public must necessarily be inte-
rested on the subjeA of a work, so popular in its na-
ture, and so scientific in its execution, we will de-
part a little from our accustomed rule, to notice and
extra& from it.
The Author's short advertisement will supply a
very clear and full view of his plan ; and will leave
us only to remark, that lie has as yet condueted his
work only to the Amphibia.

ADVERTISEMENT.
" In the course of this work will -be Uniiiiiired
the whole. of what is termed 4001i00•19.-2r the His-
tory of the Animal World. It will commence with • ,
Quadrupeds,- and will-proceed in systematic order
through all the remaining braitchel, viz. Birds,
Antphibia, Fishes, Inseas Vermes, •Testaceous Ani-
mals, Zoophytes, &c. The number of volumes will
probably amount to ten or twelve. • • •
TheLinnzan arrangement, with sotto occasional -
variations, will in general be pursued, as on the
whotle the most -eligible ; though his arrangement
of quiikupeds may to many appear,: lit
not quite so easy and natural as that of Mr. Pen-
nant?'

We will now select for our reader's entertain-
ment, an extra& from that of this systematic work,
which describes the .giants of the serpent tribe, as
they are classed under the genus, BOA. The fact,
recorded in authentic history, with which this de-
scription is conneaed, will probably justify us fur
giving it the preference.
" The genus Boa is remarkable for the vast and
almost unlimited size of some of the principal spe-
cies, which in India, Africa, and South. America,
arc occasionally found of not less than twenty,
thirty, and even thirty-five feet in length, and of a
strength so prodigious, as to be able to destroy cat-
tle, deer, &c. by twisting around them in such a
manner as to crush them to death by continued
pressuret, after whrola they swallow them in a very
gradual manner ; and when the gorged with their
prey, become almost torpid with repletion, and if
discovered in this state, may without much diffi-
culty be destroyed by shooting or other methods.
There is reason to suppose that these gigantic -ser-
pents are become less common now than some cen-
turies backwards, and that in proportion as culti-
vation and population have increased, the larger
species of noxious animals have been expelled from
the haunts of mankind, and driven into more distant
and uncultivated trans : they are still, however,
occasionally seen, and sometimes approach the
plantations and gardens of the distries nearest to
their residence.

" Of all the larger Bon, the most conspicuous is
the Boa Constritbar, which is at once pre-eminent •
from superiority of size and beauty of colours : in
this respell indeed it appears to be subject to consi-
derable variation from age, sex, and climate, but
may be distinguished in every state from the rest of
its tribe by the peculiar pattern or disposition of its
variegations. The ground-colour of the whole ani-
mal, in the younger specimens, is a yellowish grey,
and sometimes even a bright yellow, on which is
disposed along the whole length of the back a series
of large, chain-like, reddish-brown, and sometimes
perfealy red variegations, leaving large open oval
spaces of the ground-colour at regular intervals;
the largest or principal marks compos►ng the chain-
like pattern above-mentioned are of a squarish form,
accompanied on their exterior sides by large trian-
gular spots, with their points dire&ed downwards ;
between these larger marks are disposed many
smaller ones of uncertain forms, and more or less
numerous in different parts : the ground-colour it-
self is also scattered over by a great many small
specks of the same colour with the variegations
the exterior edges of all the larger spots and mark-
ings are commonly blackish, or of a much deeper
cast than the middle pact, and the ground-colour
immediately accompanying the outward edges of the
spots is, on the contrary, lighter than on other
parts, or even whitish, thus constituting a general
richness of pattern, of which nothing but an actual
view of a highly-coloured specimen of the animal
itself can convey a complete idea. In the larger
specimens the yellow tinge is often lost in an uniform
grey cast, and the red tinge of the variegations
sinks into a deep cheenut ; and ►n some the general
regularityof the pattern before described is disturbed
by a kind of confluent appearance ; ehe head is al-
ways marked above by a large longitudinal dark
band, and by a narrower lateral bend passing across
the eyes towards the neck.
" The Boa Conetri&or is a neve of Africa, In-
dia, the larger ladian islandss,And South America,

Amphibia ought to have been mentioned in this placc
betoe Birds. In the work itsotahe proper arrangement is uo-
served.

Thii praaiee er the Larger Serpent seems to have been•
wall known to the aneonva : thus Lucan, speaking of the
monstrous African snaJr,ei (which he also reps eats as fur-
niched with wiur), tells us they destroy Oxen, and even
Elephants, by
" Vos quou,,. qui cunctis irmoxia numina ternswrit/M.4lround and crushing them to death.
SerlAtis, a 4,40 nitidi fulgore Dracones,
Peebles.,. 4rdelis facit Africa, ducitis altum
Aera cum permit, armen ague tots secuti
Rumpitis ingenues amplexi verhere tauros.
Nec tutus spat o est Ele.phast datisornnia leto :
Nec vobis opus est ad noxia fats veneno.”
Ye too, in other climes who harmless rove
In gilded scales, the guardians of the grove,
In horrid Afric's pestilential air
Acquire new natures from the burning glare
Ride thro' the bl,tze of noon on sable wing,
Quick on tit affrighted herds with fury spring ;
And gathering all your folds in writhings due,
Bid the huge Ox beneath your crush expire s
Th' enormuns Elephant by force can slay,
And need no poison to secure your prey.
The tale of Laocoon in Virgil Plight be 4,189 aimed At at
exanapV of this particular.