Richland beacon., 1877-04-21
iLEJ-E .INICSND.I.

don season has arrived an illus;rious VS. |
itor from South America. lie is one OF
the largest of the JoaidT family known
TO our generation. He il an anaconda |
Eurrctes a5u,jars), which, As ] translate
it. means the good swimming mouse or
deer eater This immense snake Is now !
safely housed in the geological gardens,
under the paternal care Of Holland, who
has tor MANY years so ably managed the
snakes. poisonous and non poisonous.
Our visitor arrived ut Liverpool IN
large box. Intelligence was given to
Mr.. Bartlett, who proceeded to Liverpool
to inspect him, a matter OF considerable
difficulty. Itwilln not do to buy nexPen-
,ive snake of this kind without war
ranty. Snakes are very liable to canker
in the mouth. The gums get swollen
and flabby and completely conceal the
teeth. so that the beast cannot feed.
Again, if snakes are injured in their cap
ture they frequently die in consequence.
1t was necessary to examine the snake
as to these two points. Having been
shut up for several months without food
and in the dark the anaconda was not in
a good temper. When the lid was
opened Mr.. Bartlett caught him tight
round the neck with both hands; it was
not necessary to open the mouth, as the
savage snake did that soon enough of
himself in true anger. a moments in
spection showed he had no disease of the
gums. Ii 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 anaconda has
not poisonous teeth, but has great and
dangerous powers OF crushing. The box
with the 8, axe weighed over two hun
dred pounds. 1t was with much dodg-
ing that the anaconda was conducted by
two keepers to his new quarters, where
he at once retreated into bath Of water,
from which, as yet, he has only
emerged once or twice. 1t is difficult
to give the exact length of the snake, as
he is not to be measured with as much
facility as fathom of rope. He is now
lying in three parallel folds in his bath !;
we know the length ofthe bath and we cal
culate his length to be between eighteen
and twenty feet-a tremendous fel-
III 1t was impossible TO get tape
measure around him; but having
measured his diameter in his thickest
part, we concluded that ne is over two
feet round the body. At present he is
thin, and the skin fits him very loosely.
1t is hoped that he will soon begin to
feed. Mr.. Bartlett, with his usual inge-
nuitv, has found out how to make Mr..
Anaconda feed. He covers his bath
over at night, and puts therein with the
snake duck. The duck is always gone
in the morning, and the snake appears
fatter. Anaconda is decidedly nocturnal
r and aquatic in his habits. Like our
l own British snake, it is found in marsby,
2 damp places, and he feeds upon animals
S which come down to drink at night. Mr.,
Y Bartlett has ascertained that the last
l meal this snake had consisted of young
7 peccaiv. the horny part of the hoois hav'
y ing been discovered in the stones at the
It bottem of the cage; there are also
S the hairs of another animal which has tC
:. be diagnosed by microscopes. This trop
n ical American snake is also called the
e Aboma. The provincial name FL trage
e ran,bo or the deer swallower. He never
r interferes with men, although, of course
It he will take his own part if attacked. Il
t. is greatly to be hoped that this magnifi
# cent snake will, in time, get an appetite
n and recover from his travel-worn appear
is ance. His companion in the cage is
e magnificent reticulated python Ula
e sa~a), caught at Penang. He has beer
&c at the gardens since August, 1876. and ha
Is not eaten anything since he arrived. HI
7, shed his skin on Sunday, February Is
g and il now most lovely to behold. 1
y would be impossible to describe the tint
Ie of the new skin "a splendid lacing Q
4 bronze, blue, gold and black, except b
lie saving that they are quite as gorgeous a
re the peacock's plumage. - Land an
e Water.
Of
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