The People's friend., 1894-08-03
BATTLING BOAS.
Exciting Duel for a Mate In q Brazilian
Forest.


the professional snake hunter and |
dealer, known to circus and museum
managers throughout the country as
big Doc and 'Old Dollar Foot,
that being his market price for ordi
nary snakes. ''On my last trip to Bra
I'll after snakes didn't meet with the
success | expected to, but | brought
back one of the best snake stories, |
think, that ever came from that land of
serpents.
"Boas, both male and female, often
fight tercely over prey that one snake
has captured and which another one
cOvets, and at certain seasons of the
year deadly combats between male bOas
are frequent, the fight being over the
possession Of female for a mate. 1t
was sight such as this that | wit
messed one day in the depths of a Bra
lillian forest | wasn't out after snakes
that day, either. If | had gone pre-
pared to capture boas on that occasion
should have bagged two of the big
gest snakes that ever came from Brazil
or any other land Of snakes.
IL was out taking business look
around after some rare specimens of
monkeys. | had chased a choice long
tailed fellow up a tree and was trying
my wiles on him when | was startled
by loud kissing sound that came from
another part Of the forest like a 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 writhing and twisting in
such a desperate struggle, that big
punches ofleaves were sent flying about
in the air as if they had been dis
turbed and lifted by whirlwind.
"The fierce struggle on the ground
lasted five minutes, and then the bOas
suddenly separated. One serpent glided
to large tree near by and went up its
trunk like a spiral flash Of lightning.
The other snake flashed in the same
way up into another tree fifteen feet
distant from the first one. | feared
that the fight had come to an end, be-
cause one of the snakes seemed to be
afraid and the other one daresn't.
''But | soon saw that | was mistaken
The snakes had hardly settled them
selves among the branches Of their re
spective trees, when the foliage OF
both trees began to shake and quivel
as if wind were passing through anc
agitating them.
suddenly each boa, coiling its tai
around branch high up in its tree
dropped like a plummet toward the
ground and hung at full length, it:
head raised but few inches above the
ground. For a moment their grea
bodies swayed to and fro like SLOWLY
moving pendulums. Their eyes gilt
tered like fire. Then each serpen
drew itself quickly half it's length
above the ground. Like an arrow eacl
head shot forward, and instantly th'
two enormous reptiles were locked il
each others coils like immense, cable
twisted to 1ether.
sup and down, to and fro, the writh
ING mass moved in quick undulation
each serpent struggling for an openin
that would place the other at disac
vantage. Their forked tongues darte
in and out of their mouths like jet
Of flame. and their kissing was inces
SAINT.
"The troops Of chattering monke
spectators had been joined by hundred
Of harsh-voiced but brilliantly plume
birds. which flew frantically abou
and added their excited cries to tn
deafening monkey chorus.
ssThe desperate mid-air struggle b.
tween the boas continued for sever;
minutes. when they separated again {
suddenly as they had rushed togethe
and each drew itself back among tf
branches Of its tree. For two or thrt
minutes the snakes lay quietly, eac
glaring at the other
"Suddenly in one Of the trees hi
like escaping steam was heard' ana u
boa in that tree shot his great leng'
toward the ground again. The cha
1enoinp hiss was answered by one sti
1onder from the other boa. and
flashed down to it's former position al
confronted its foe The boas did n
rnsh together at once One wou
strike at the other with the rapidity
lightning.
"With equal quicl1ness that o.
would avoid the rush by dodglng to o.
side or the other. and instantly make
counter attack. This interesting spa
r;nr match lasted for at least five mi
rtas when one Of the snakes DIRE
itself two or three feet above the 9th
and made quick downward feint.
an+aponist ducked its head lower
avoid the stroke, and that moveme
was fatal The upper boa darted
down. and 50 quickly was its deadly
+ention carried out that was not ava
i had been done until | saw the upp
snake with three Of its coils around t
lower one.
There was dreadful crunching
hones and in the twinkling of an e
ia victorious snake had drawn t
vanouished one three folds furth
within its fearful embrace. There W
more crunching Of bones, and by
grees the tail Of the defeated serpe
nncoiled from its hold on the branch
the tree, and at last the great rept
dropped heavily to the ground,
crushed and lifeless mass For u
ment the victor held the vanqulshed
its coils and then released it. The '
torious serpent glided from its tr
moved rapidly several times around
crushed body Of its lifeless foe W
,l ,ad oprru hiSSeS shooting its