Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-09-22
SNAKES FIGHT A DUEL.
ENORMOUS BoAs ENGAGE IN
DEADLY CONFLICT.
Exciting Contest for Mate In a Brazil
ian Forest-cIevsr sparrinE for an
Opening-Excited Monkeys aud Birds
Gathered as Spectators,

Brazil is the home OF the most
gigantic boa constructors in the
world" said Henry Closer OF Ne
cropolis. Ohio, the professional
snake hunter and dealer, 10 a New
York sun writer.
ION my last trip TO Brazil after
snakes | didn't meet with the success
] expected 10. but | brought back
one OF the best snake stories,
think thai ever came from that land
OF serpents
II was out taking business look
around after some rare specimens OF
monkeys. | had chased a choice
long tailed fellow up tree and was
\ trying my wiles on him when ! was
startled by loud Kissing sound that
came from another part Of the forest
| like gust OF wind escaping from
some narrow space. | looked in the
/ direction Of the sound. and. TO my
/ surprise, saw two enormous boas On
| the ground. locked together. and
writhlng and twisting in such des
peratc struggle that big punches Of
leaves were sent dying about ia the
air as II they had been disturbed and
lifted By whirlwind. There must
be a peculiar fascination TO these
monkeys ia fight between boas. for
this particular battle had not been
going on three minutes before the
trees all around the spot were filled
with monkeys. chatterlng and
screaming enough 10 make steam
calliope player jealous
with the snake night OF the bills.
this aggregation Of monkeys would
have been the greatest show on
earth TO me. but il wasn't anywacre
near Ia Ii with the fight
,The fierce struggle on the ground
lasted hye minutes. and then the
boas suddenly separated One SER
pent glided 70 a Large tree near by
and went mp It's trunk like a spiral
fash 81 lightning The other snake
flashed in the same way up into an
other tree fifteen feet distant from
the first one ! feared that the fight
had come 70 an end because one o.
the snakes seemed TO be afraid and
the other one daresn'i
but soon saw that was mis-
taken. The snakes had hardly set
tied themselves among the branches
OF ieeir respective trees. when the
foliage Of both trees began 20 shake
and CULVER as II wind were passing
through and agiiating them.
suddenly each boa, coiling its
tall around a branch high up in III
tree dropped like a plummet toward
the ground ami hung al full length.
its head raised but few niche.
above the ground For moment
their great bodies swAyed to and frt
like slowly moving pendulums. Their
eyes glitiered like FIRE Then each
serpent drew itself quickly half iii
! length above the ground Like al
/. arrow each head shot forward. ant
. instantly the two emo NOUS reptiles
, were locked in each others coils x,
immense cables twisted together
, "t'p aud down two aud fro. th,
. writing mass moved in quick I'm
dulation. each serpent struggling fot
, an opening that would place tn,
other at a disadvantage Theii
i. iorkcd tongues darted in and out 0
, their mouths like Jets OF flame ans
, their Kissing was incessant
! .lhe groups Of chattering monkey
. spectators had been joined by hun
dreds Of arsh.yoiced. but brilliant
, Is plumed birds. which few frantic
/, ally about. and added their excited
cries to the dcaiening monkey cho7as
The desperate midair struggle
between the boas continued for sew
eral minutes, when they separated
: again as suddenly as they hal
rushed together. and each drew IL
. self back among the branches OF it.
troe, For two or three minutes the
! snakes lay quietly, each glaring a
/, the otser
"Suddenly ia ono OF the trees I
hiss like escaping steam was heard
the boa In thai tree shot his grea
, length toward the ground again.
/, The challenging hiss was answered
by one still louder from the othei
boa. and II flashed down TO it,
, former position and confronted is
foe The boas did not rush together
at once. One would strike at tn,
other with the rapidity of lightning,
with equal quickness that on,
would avoid tho rush by dodging
from one side or the other, and in
stantly. making a counter attack
This iutere ting sparriug match last
ed for at least five minutes, when
one OF the snakes drew itself up three
feet above the other and made d
quick downward feint Its antago
mist ducked its head TO avoid the
stroke and that movement was ia
tai. Tho upper boa darted on down
and so quickly was its intention car
ried out that was not aware IL hat
been done until | saw the upper
snake with three Of its coils around
the lower one.
"rhere was terrible crunching o
bones, and In the twinkling OF at
eve the victorious snake had drawn
the vanauished one three folds fur
Their within its fearful embrace
= There was more crunching of bones,
: and by degrees the tail Of the de
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