Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-05-09
A Live Anaconda.

Mr.. Frank Bnckland describes IN Lana
and Water the arrival Of large snake az
the London Geological Gardens:
"With the commencement OF the Lo u
don season has arrived IN illustrlous vlsLI-
or Grom South America. He Is one OF tlle
largest of the Boaid@ family known 10 our
generation. He is IN anaconda (E"secteS
marinuS), which, rs translate It, means,
the GOOD swimming mouse or deer-eater'
This immense snake is now safely housed
in the snake.house in the Geological Car
dcns. under the parental care Of Holland;
who has for many years so ably manage"
the snakes, poisonous and non poisonous
"Onr visitor arrived ut Liverpool IN Il
large box. Intelligence was given to Mr.
Bartlett, who proceeded to Liverpool 10 IN
,pect him. II matter of difficulty IL WIZ
not do to buy IN expensive snake OF thls
kind without a warranty. Snakes are very
liable to canker in the mouth. The gums
oet swollen and fabby, and completely
conceal the teeth. so that the beast cannot
feed. Again, if snakes are injured IN the
capture they frequently die in consequence
It was necessary to examine the snake as
to these two points. Having been smut up
for several months without food, ana IN tue
dark, the anaconda was not in good tenn
per. When the lid was opened Mi. BARI
lett caught him tight around the neck win
both hands; it was not necessary 10 oPen
the mouth, us the savage snake dIu Ilia'
soon enough of himself, in true anger; "A
moments inspection showed he had no
disease of the gums 1t was with some
difficulty that Mr.. Bartlett got his head
back into the box without letting out more
than foot or two of his body. The ana
conda has NOT poisonous teeth, but mas
great and dangerous power OF crushing
! The box with the snake weighed over TWO
hundred pounds 1t WAS with much dooS-
inc that anaconda was conducted by two
keepers to his new quarters, where he III
once retreated into II bath OF warm wafer
from which, us yet, he has emerged only
once or twice. 1t is difficult to give the
exact length Of the snake, as he IS not 10
be measured with rs much facility us
fathom of rope. lie is now lying in three
parallel folds in his bath. We know the
| length of his bath, and we calculate his
length to be between eighteen and nlne'
teen feet.
" 1t was impossible to get n tape meas
ure around him; hut having measured MS
diameter in his thickest part, we conclude
that he is over two feet round the body. AT
present he is thin, and his skin fits him very
loosely. 1t is hoped that he will soon be-
gin to feed. Mr.. Bartlett, with his usual
ingenuity, has found out how 10 make
Mr.. Anaconda feed. He covers his bath
1T night, and puts therein with the snake
II duck. The duck is always gone in the
morning, and the snake appears fatter.
Anaconda is decidedly III clurnal and
aquatic in his habits. Like our own Brit
i,h snake it is found in marshy, damp
places, and he feeds upon animals which
come down to drink ut night, MIR. Bart
lett has ascertained that the last meal this
snake had consisted of Il Young peccary,
the horny parts of the hoofs having been
discovered in the stones 1T the bottom OF
his cage; there are also the hairs of an
other animal which has to be diagnosed by
mirroscopislS. This tropical American
snake is also called the Aboma. The pro-
vincial name is EI tragG uenad0, or the
deer swallOwer.
e" He never intrrferes with men, although
of course he will take his own part if at
tackled. 1t is greatly to be hoped that this
magnificent snake will in lime get IN APP
petite and recover from his travel-worn APP
pplrance His color mry be described us
buff, with very dark markings on the up
per paris His companion in the cage is
u magnilicently reticuIated python OSar
soW y, caught ut Penang. He had been
at the Gardens since August, 1876, and has
not eaten anything since he arrived. lie
she'd his skin on Sunday, February 25th.
aud is now most lovely to behold. II
would be impossible to describe the tints
Of the new skin (t splendid lacing of
bronze, blue, gold and black, except by
saying that they are quite rs gorgeous as
the peacock's plumage."