The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-18
BoAs IN A FIGHT.
The vsuquished Was = Size the Smaller.
which Was Convenient for the Victor.
From the London Standard.

NhH t"o NhNt0Fs
From the London Standard.
The Geological Society OF London have Just
lost q fine specimen Of the South American boa
constructor, 0 feet long, through the inadver-
tence of a snake of the same species. IL feet in
length. Both reptiles had for nearly . year oc-
cupied the same glass case In the new reptile
house, and had lived together In apparent good
fellowship until one night 9 fortnight sgo. when
edy occurred in the night and the cause Is only
a matter of speculation among the keepers,
can be no doubt, the. swollen body OF the bigger
boa giving undoubted proof of the Whereabouts
On the evening Of the day when the boa disap-
peared two pigeons were placed in their case 80
closed. and the keeper noticed that the larger
one Immediately attacked one pigeon, and had
while the smaller one only began upon the sec
ond pigeon as the keeper went out; What hap
larger larger boa. having SsriH = got stP lie pigeon 20 90 we'll 1di' within
his Gsophagus. attacked the second pigeon.
slFssG Gf In ea shs HAVING 1swi q Be- SsoS sG%D fastsned rn ID Tie
bird, there was nothing left but for one or the
9fher ri Of the Soas to sWallowg Its , eom Ms.n q.
one which had the larger Jaws and this being
s shS G rival Il o dset to IN isns'h This Il 'w wss q p].l Rf, :
natural result, though unpleasant for the
MIR. A. DE bartlett, tho superintendent ex.
planned the process with the anatomical head Of
a snake, which he has in his library; and the
the late Mr.. Thomas Bell. in his work on Brit
ish Reptiles" thus: The bones Of which the
and loosely distinct from each other, and con-
nected only by ligements.. BY this arrangements
tanned. which Is also aided BY a popularity in tho
structure OF the Joint, but one side OF. either jaw
and as the animal is gradually taking It's prey.
one side of the jaw Is extended forward,
and. the single row Of the over. M INTO
theintegument; then the opposite side Of the
and so on alternately, until the victim is thus
gradually and often slowly conveyed into the
part it is swallowed. There is little doubt that
this operation, begun at 8 in the afternoon, CON
because at . O'clock the next morning the nine-J
foot snake had wholly disappeared;
of The Smaller boa had once entered the stom.l
ach Of its mate, some eonyulsive moyemene<
so %q Rs. aeSs O tSS end %dd ss SiSs h ss asHR e. a. is e. stc ona
ach of II snake extends nearly the whole length
Of the body, there was plenty OF room. and two!
Bartlett thinks there would have been ]portion
direction in which It had gone, The victor in
the morning was intentionally full. !Therot
Portable, after the manner OF snakes. in a seriesj
Of artistic, coils; all the scales were so separately
looked ready TO burst. The missing boa mus51
have died OF suffocation, and in the time which,
adSs snsesea as to tas sl P5SS OF the III e eates inau hsf 90 IN n q
limited curl. There Is no longer any fear enter!
tained OF death from overlooking. and it isl
thought that in four or Ave months the boa may
hungry once more, and return to its
former diet of pigeon.
The large boa. before II began the meal. was,
in circumference at the thickest part, about thai
meal TO three times that dimension. In color
this reptile possesses a touch of yellow. min
Cling with rich red brown, and dashes OF black
shot with blush metallic tints. This has caused
Il TO be popularity known as the harlequin snake
The eye is OF "A duh gold color, and the keeper.
on discovering what had happened, thoughb5
there was "a sinister expression" in the eye, as1
though IL was fully conscious of the unbrotherly
action OF which IL had been guilty. This is thej
occasion upon which q boa has succeeded inj
swallowing = brother Of its own spec
aud survived. About forty years ago q py-i
hon sN allowed y python In the gardens, but was
Ia digest its meal. and died OF blood pois-
ming caused by indigestion. Upon a more re-a
blanket with which ~ was covered. ltremained
n the stomach q few days and was then elected.
he superintendent at that time thought IL .
to lose a good blanket so Il was washed,
ma when ironed out was tonnd to be full Of
roles caused by the unfinished process OF diges-
ion to which IL had been subjected.
The case in which these two boas were con-
ined is 10 feet long by q feet deep. and the sur.
'ivor may be seen by visitors in the reptile
The swallowing powers Of a boa arc
'ften eNemplliicd in the cases containing them
10 the gardens from south America. Once
he superintendent found a brass hook and ths
oathers OF a curasOw. the swallowing az which
ed. TO its capture. Other examinations F"sul'-
ii IN discovering the remains Os "a spider mn'-
icy and a capabaTu, the largest known roiuntI
,nd upon "a recent visit 10 SurinIln Mr.. Clarence
tartiett killcd a torpid boa, in the stomach ot
which he found the h0nrs OF an alligator hNs
Get In length. This tragedy in the reptile house
causin ggreat public Interest.