The Wilmingtonian., 1823-11-27

anu tlVOWlUR nun uoVu, "O ""o S"o"S
in an instant in his horrible folds. soI'
quick, indeed, and so instantaneous was
the act, that it was impossible for the eye
to follow the rapid convoution OF his elon-
gated body. 1t was not regular screw
like turn that was formed but resembling
rather knot. one part Of the body over
laying the other, as if to add weight to
1.-THE muscular pressure, the more effecfu'
lally to crush his object. During this time
|he continued to grasp with his mouth
though it appeared an unnecessary pre-
caution, that part of the animal when ne
had first seized. The poor goat IN thel
mean time, continued its feeble and half
stifled cries for some minutes, but they
soon became more and more faint, and at
last it expired. The snake, however re-
|tained it for considerable time ~ IT'S
grasp, after it was apparently motionless'
IHe then began slowly and cautiously toI
unfold himself till the goat fell dead from
1his monstrous embrace, when he began toI
prepare himself for the feast. Placing his|
mouth in front of the head of the dead an
imal, he commenced by lubicrating with
his saliva that part of the goat and then
taking its muzzle into his mouth, which
had, and indeed always has, the appear
ance of a raw lacerated wound, he sucked
liz in as far as the horns would allow
These protuberances offered some little
difficulty, not so much from their extent
as from their points; however, they also
lin very short time disappeared; that is
', to say externally, but their progress was
still to be traced very distinctly on the
outside, threatening every moment to pro.
\ ltrude through the skin. The victim had
now descended as far as the shoulders /;
and it was an astonishing sight to observe
the extraordinary action OF the snakes
muscles when stretched to such an unnat-
Iural extent-an extent which must have
utterly destroyed all muscular power In
any animal that was not, like itself, en-
dowed with very peculiar faculties of ex-
pansion and action at the same time.--
When his head and neck had no other ap-
'Ipearance than that of serpent's skin
stuffed almost TO bursting, still the work.
Fling of the muscles were evident; and his
power of suction, as it is enormously call
ed, unabated it was, in fact, the effect OF
! contractile musclar power, assisted by
: 1.-TWO rows of strong hooked teeth. With
e|aIl this he must be so formed as to be
able to suspend, for a time, his respiration
:. for it is impossible to conceive that the
process of breathing could be carried on
K while the mouth and throat were so com
pletely stuffed and expanded by the body
Of the goat, and the lungs themselves lad
i hitting the traches to be ever so hard.
e ecompressed as they must have been BY its
downwards.
!, : "The whole operation of completed,
!, :, gorging the head, occupied about two hour
~ u and twenty minutes; at the end OF whic
\ iltime the tumefactiOn was confined to tn
tslmiddle part of the body or stomach; tn
U.s. superior parts, which had been SO muc
% distended. having resumed their naturi
! dimensions. He now coilea himself u
in again, and laid quietly in his usual torpl
h' state for about three weeks or a mont
50 when, his last meal appearing to be con
ah pletely digested and dissolved, he WI
presented with another goat; which t
devoured with equal facility. 1t woul
lappear that almost all he swallows is col
verted into nutrition, for small quantl'
of calcareous matter (and that perhaps nj
m he a tenth part of the bones Of the ANNA
I neI with occasionally some of the hairs, seer
ad ed to compose his general teces,-and tn
m ~ may account for these animals being alb
,ss to remain SO long without supply OF loo
.e0 He had more difficulty in killing fo
,;J id than larger animal, the former being t
of small for his grasp.
,lv ~ "As the ship approached the Cape
"a Good Hope, the animal began to droop,
+be we then supposed, from the increasl
ha ' GOODNESS Of the weather, (Which may prl
81 r ably have had its infuence) and he refus
to kill some fowls which were offered
nd him. Between the Cape and St. llele
,.s ns he was found dead in his cage, and, on d
!, .a section. the coats of his stomach were d
. rs covered to be excoriated and pertorat
~ ~ tby worms. Nothing remained Of the q
tho except one of the horns, every other p
;ch being dissolved.
the -
out MIR. PERKINS STEAM ENGINE.
rye The number of the Edinburgh Philo
,ee. Iphical journal for last month, conta
,as- Mr.. Perkins own account OF his meth
ma of applying the new principle to ste
five engines of the old construction. The
for count is taken from the specification
4 L.. ,ot.,t ,,,h;ch wac Onpn IN the inc n