The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-01-28


GwARmD THAT oNAEkOw DVzxR
rAsss ~ Ne ssvpsass ssa e may Asss sAat
nsas che Dsssese 1epsaleA
II took that fellow with lasso." said .
naturalist who recently returned from q col
lecting tour In South America. pointing to +
magnificent snake skin moro than twenty-five
feet In length that hung from the wall Of hts
study. and in this WISE" he continued. OBJ
serving tho look Of incredulity upon his vie.
itor's face. Il was way up the Amazon. and
bcing Anxious to get largo snake offered
reward for one. and soon heard OF big fellow
that had been seen about three miles from
whore was. Immediately moved Into the
neishborhood. and after We had secured the
country several days the boy had with me
came running through the bush in great Oh.
element. saying that . big boa aud the saubas
tAnts) were having fight. The saubas. By the
way. arc foraging ants that put to flight man
aud beast. When they enter house the owner
steps out and runs for his life. and whom
came up to the snake found II In n similar hx.
II was magnificent specimen. 1t had swAls
lowed some exceedingly large animal. and.
while almost unable to move. had been attack
ed by the ants. The grass. bushes. twigs. and
leaves were black with the insects. and evory
moment or two tho great reptile would lin IT,
self In the air and sway about savagcly. but
Only 10 Ihu DuCk ukuiu. INV tuut suo INV
would destroy It In an hour. so sent my boy
back to the village to got . rope. and took 70
the troes myself.
In half an hour he returned with twenty
men. made q lasso. and. getting near the
snake. succeeded in throwing II over his head.
but became fairly covered with ants. 90 that
had to rush away and roll In the bush to rid
myself OF them. However. we all rallied.
manned the rope. and mana ged to drag the
snake out Of his retreat and away from the
ants. It was 80 sluggish under this rough
treatment that was able TO place my pistol
within six inches OF its head when shot It. /
soon had It in camp and the skin taken on. I
wanted the skeleton also. but the natives stole
Il In the night. and my specimen won't for slows
the next day. Boa moat IL not bad. and is worry
generally eaten In many local tiles.
1T is great mistake to think that snakes
arc useless. They are In the first place. ex-
tremely valuable as scavengers. The meat Of
the larger kinds is eaten. The skins are laval;
boon N THen The q! q and
comes from the rattiesnaie and coppsrhead
This skin on the wall ID by NO means one OF the
iiese that SNAKES T attain the sizos mentioned by
naturalists. Nevertheiess Gigantic snakes dS
SNAKES tWentys sSe feet in length MI. Bates.
the naturnistsy measured in South America
water G, 'e SsS
Sssn ssSa s' or iSs Ss
ward been drowned BY, being swept down .
settling Of the water. it was hanging In . tree.
It presented a most remarkable spectacle.
%oas buE Tsese oen
7enac,itcahniha.. meaning fighting with five
men skin 81 90, q one formerly in tho British
S %ndanson Observed ss v snake in Senegal that
nifty feet ond i've s sn bat hs I'm
tia! Of the Orinoco. that from its thickness he
pents In Geyion thirty siS feet in ensth. and 10
snso no 0ns sat ssa q
.sls % INV h; Efs 5ss s.
would seem fair to suppose that snakes do at
h b t SSd nbs nn2ss
sSis can g Issdiiy, conceived; The horns, y
case came to my hearing" continued the
BY a snake that had swallowed dser: ma
tive Rinehing the body and thinking the rep
ste s wrthed anG Surod its head 1T The mSs
20 force that ths Tn
sf many at 'eH
Tales O fabulous snakes arc common In his-
he .srm into WSe .Ss roman
thrown by IN enormous serpent that had ito
On ss f 70 fS S
long. Bontius refers to snakes In the Asiatte
and mentions that he has seen persons s eatin:
the flesh OF large hogs captured by and taken
Here Is a rattlesnake.". continued the snake
skeleton, that tested the nerve Of . friend q
day while sitting on root Of a tree with his
tween his feet He remained perfectly quiet
until WAS several feet beyond him. and then no
3D. o but VT" to ns is his own Words he was ha
been bitten it would have been fatal, as there
camp that i psobsby he only Fnown 9e
Wallace. tho naturalist. once left his house in
teen feet long. fis tail was seen GansinE
selling it: rushed ont Of the door. dragging the
SGste Wh hsf %iny 70 rsg"n ~
the reptile was SnsIIy stunned BY being dashed
against a tree. A Malay. boat anchored ono
might along the shore q one Of the Celebes
botel nut Soon aiterwar.i the crow wsre
aroused by his screams, and In following them
| up found him In the folds OF u gigantic python.
II WAS killed and they found that the arms Of
the man alone bore signs OF toeth marks. his
ribs and other bones being crushed In splinturs
by the constructive folds: The cobra 81 India
thousands OF natives are killed by them yearly.
Wallace says that at one place In Malay they
| were 40 numerous that on an ,eragc. u native
was killed every day In the year.
The great csmondi snakes Of South Ameri-
watsr with portions OF their bodies concealed
SO that they would easily DO taken for the great
vines that grow so luxuriantly IN these forests.
that comes unsusplciousy along eycn human
game not being neglected Kingsley relates
bathing In a lagoon and one OF Thorn fen her
| self pulled from behind. Al first she Thought
| itR prank OF one OF her companions. bat tho
form OF an enormous snake soon appeared. Il
had fastened its teeth to her bnth hing dross. but
When they are gorged with food they coll up