Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-07-08

IT \ few weeks ago we gave onr readers
a lively account from the life and adventures
Of French physician. NJ GIrone,e, in the
Philippine Islands, of the way they catch,
liZrrdS-'iirs cuymnns or Cror0diics, "and such
small deer" there. The following extract from
the same work, taken from the y. Y. Evening
Post shows that they do i'rle there in the
snake line olsn. Interesting place, TINT, -
10 90 a chcSnutlng livery.
The o,hor monster. description of winch
have promScd--lhe boa conSrctnr--is very
common in the Philippine Islands. but it Is
rare thing to see one OF very large size. 1t Is
possible, It Is probable, perhaps, that it may
require many centuries Tor tins reptile 10 attain
a nonsrrnuS size. But since 1t Is difficult to
any animal To 1--we for very long period with
ont being exposed to accidents that would
put an end 10 lis existence, 1t Is only in the
darkest toreS;s anl widest places that bols
full ~ are met with. | have seen many boas
u ordinary size such aS are found IN our Euro
pran c"l"CtlUn~. There were some, indeed.
hat inhabited my house: ana one night tonni
"nc two yards long IN possess of my bed.
several times, prs>Iug through the woods with
my lndlaEs, | heard the pl"rclng cries oi II
wild boar Ga approaching the spot whence
tlry proceeded, we almost invariably found
wIld boar. about whose body bnl had tw steA
ITS folds. ana WIS gradually huistnT hun up
INTO he tree round which II had colied ITSELF
When In" wild boar had reached certain
lr"lgh', the snake pressed him against ia" tree
win force that cruS ed ms homes and stlil"d
rIn. Ih"n III" boi j. its prey fail, descended
th" tree, ANA prepared to sw How what Il hid
siam. he la-t operation was much 10 lengthy
for u> to await lis rni. To simplify mrttrrs,
scnt hA' mo the boa'S head; my InlIhns
'unk the ilr,h to drt II inr eating, and the SKIN
tor >hrn'hS fer Their da%Ge.s. II Is hardly
n"crsslrv To sac, hat ,hr boar was not for
gotten; IN" iH''CJ was prey captured without
uucr .rt'i.uIv bn' day an lnlnn surprised
u', "l ,tv-r .",,l,. asleep, al! rr j, had swpi
lowed ri, "nnui ,u4 Doe; It's size was So gr"lr
tnlr It would have required a cart To transport
it to tae village. The INDIAN cut It to pieces,
and was content WI as much Of the flesh rs
he could carry. Having heard of il, sent for
what was Jeff. They brought me piece about
eight feet long, aud 50 Large that the skin,
when dried, enve uped the taIltst mrn like
cloak. | gave It tu my friend Lindsay.
had never seen any of these largest ami
mails taken alive, about which the Indians had
often spoken to me. AMI always with some de.
gree oi eNaggerlunn, when one afternoon, as
| was crossing the mountllu with two of my
shepherds, NV attention was drawn To the con
unul blkln. of my doIS, whn seemed to he
attacking 81 ~ annual thu stood upon lis de-
fence. We Thought Al first II was bufflo at
bay, rhat had been started from his cover, and
approached the place with caution
W dogs were dispersed along tho brink of
a deep rlvne, IN which was mn enormous boa.
,'hc monster r iscd MS head to a height of tive
or six feet drcctinl # from one edge to the
other OF the ravn" .pd mrnnclng hs ussal-
ants, with his torkrd tongue but the dogs,
more active than he was, elslly avoided his ai-
'acks. My first lmpuls" was to shoot him, but
then It occurred to me to take him alive and
send him tn France. Assuredly hc would have
been the most monslrous boa that had over
been seen there. To carry ont my design, we