Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1885-06-06
SurreIted with a Blanket.

Boa-constrictors gorge themselves At
one meal, and then remain torpid for 0
week or fortnight, or even longer
periods. Their powers of abstinence are
only equaled by their powers of gluttony.
One boa at the Geological Gardens,
London, remained for one year and ten
months without eating anything, and
yet was in good condition. An English
magazine tells the story Of boa which
died of too much blanket:
One of the largest boas, If not tho
largest, ever kept in captivity, was until
lately at the Geological Gardens. It wat
o female, which was captured at Ceylon
while in torpid state. It then meas
nred about twenty feet, but was very
thin.
Regular diet, however, and the care
taken Of it at the Gardens, where it was
sent, soon improved its condition and
at the end OF some six years it had
grown to the length of more than
twenty-nine feet, and as thick round a.
mans thigh.
This monster was called Bess," and
to the last moment of her captivity, or
rather Of her life, she remained intoler-
ably vicious. Even her keepers were
afraid of her.
Once she rose with such reckless
plunge against the attendant who was
cleaning her cage as to knock him COM
pletely out of the opening by which he
had entered, though fortunately not
hurting him, and leaving him ample
strength and time to close the slide be-
fore she could follow him, which she
was quite prepared to do.
This magnificent reptile died Of sur
felt Of her own blankets.
She was casting her skin, and was, -
is always the case at that time, partially
blind when her meal of rabbits was driven
into her cage.
The first she seized, crushed, and In
stantly gorged. With the others abe
was less successful. Warned, perhaps,
by the fate OF their companion, they
were most agile in keeping out OF the
way.
The second she struck at she missed
altogether, but caught her blanket in
stead, around the unresisting mass Of
which she cooled and twined till she was
tired, and then deliberately proceeded to
gorge it
No effort could get it from her tena-
OlOu0 lhWbs dh0 AAOCO0 Ill AOA bA04 o6v~
age humor it was not safe to persist IN
the attempts.
So at her leisure, though not without
considerable exertion, owing, no doubt,
10 the woolly nature of the texture, she
succeeded in swallowing her rug, equal
in size and thickness to tho ordinary
covering of bed.
After this gastronomic feat she lay
torpid for about q week, when, with
great efforts, she disgorged both the
Blanket and the rabbit she had previous
~ swallowed. Both had evidently dis
agreed with her.
After this she seemed Ill, and. refusing
food for q month or more, coiled herself
mp and laid about seventy eggs
Then, though she was evidently very
Ill, she tried to hatch them.
In ell the history OF serpents no boa
constructor had ever laid eggs in cop
tvity.
However, after some weeks watch
ing, the eggs, having been prematurely
extruded, became bad SO they were re-
moved with no little difficulty from IN
der Bess.
After their abstraction she seemed
very restless and refused all food /; even
the temptation of live ducks, generally
quito irresistible bait to siing boas,
was taken no notice Of.
Nothing could tempt her appetite,
and her fits of anger rose to perfect fury
when her cage had to be cleaned. In
the end this almost necessary process
had to be given over, but still she re.
fused her meals.
After ianguishing few weeks more,
abe sudderly s:retchsd herself out and
&isd.