The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-06-30
BoAs IN A DEADLY COMBAT.
Exciting Duel for Mate in Bra
LILLIAN Forest.

H.. ,.,,a..;ot,,s -. tbo 1,,orld ~ cold Harry
o. "e Ton.a,I;s n H. nrofsss;onsI
snate bnnter and dealer known to circus
and museum MANAGERS throuhout the coun-
trv as aBiv Doc" and aOld Dollar Foot, y
tb., bo;ng b;o market nrice for ordinary
snaLos aOn INV las, tr;n IN Brazil after
snoLeS d;dn't meet with the success |
axnac.ad 70 hnt hrouoht hack one of
the hest snake stories, | think, that ever
came from that land of serpents.
aRoas both male and female, often fight
6.rceIv over nrev that me snake has cap
tnred and which another one covets, and at
certain seasons of the wear deadly combats
between male boas are FREQUENT, the fight
being over the possession of female for
, mate II was sight such as this that
witnessed one day in the depths of Bra
LILLIAN forest. / wasn't out after snakes
that day. either. If | had gone prepared
IN cantnre boas ON that occasion | should
have baooed two of the biggest snakes
that ever came from Brazil or any other
land of snakes.
81 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 a
gust of wind escaping from some narrow
space looked in the direction of the
sound, and, to my surprise, saw two enor-
nous boas on the ground, locked together,
and writhing and twisting in such des-
perate struggle that big punches of leaves
were sent flying about in the air as if they
had been disturbed and lifted by whirl-
wind.
"Then it was that | groaned aloud and
unexpectedly kicked myself because l
had not gone forth loaded tor snake. ior l
would have corralled both OF those Slgantlc
serpents before they knew 1t.
'There are many varieties of monkeys
in the Brazilian forests, and every one OF
them is toothsome morsel to the boa:
Usually person may know that one OF
these great reptiles has come to hunt In the
woods by the wild scamperlng OF all KINDS
of monkeys through the trees, fylng from
possible capture by the boa; At the same
time, there must be peculiar fascination
to these monkeys in fight between boas,
for this particular battle had not been 60
ing on three minutes before the trees all
around the spot were filled with monkeys,
chattering and screaming enough to make
a steam calliope player jealous.
"With the snake fight off Of the bills,
this aggregation of monkeys would have
been the greatest show on earth to me, but
it wasn't anywhere near in 1t with the hight.
"The fierce struggle on the ground last
ed FIVE minutes, and then the boas sud-
denly separated. One serpent glided to a
large tree near by and went up its trunk
like spiral fash of lightning. The other
snake flashed in the same way up into an
other tree fifteen feet distant from the first
one. l feared that the fight had come to
an end, because one of the snakes seemed
to be afraid and the other one daresn I.
"But l soon saw that l was mistaken
The snakes had hardly settled themselves
among the branches of their respective
trees, when the foliage of both trees began
to shake and culver as if wind were pass
ing through and agitating them.
''Suddenly each boa, coiling its tail
around branch high up in its tree, dropp-
ed like plummet toward the ground and
hung at full length, its head raised but a
few inches above the ground. For mo-
ment their great bodies swayed to and fro
like slowly moving pendulums; Their
eyes glittered like lire. Then each serpent
drew itself quickly halt Its length above
the ground. Like an arrow each head
shot forward, and instantly the two enorm-
ous reptiles were locked In each other
coils like immense cables twisted together.
Cup and down, to and fro, the writing
mass moved in quick undulation, each ser
pent struggling for an opening that would
place the other at disadvantage lne.r
forked tongues darted In and out OF their
mouths like jets of flame, and their Kissing
was lncessant.
1.-THE troops OF chattering monkey spec =
tators had been joined by huhureds Oh
harsh voiced but brilliantly plumed birds;
which flew trantlcally about, and added
their excited cries to the deafenlnS monkey
chorus.
"The desperate mid-air struggle between
the boas continued for several minutes
when they separated again as suddenly as
they had rushed together, and each drew
itself back among the branches OF Its tree
For two or three minutes the Shakes iay
quietly, each glaring at the other.
Suddenly in one of the trees hiss like
escaping steam was heard, and the boa In
that tree shot his great length toward the
ground again. The challenging hiss was
answered by one still louder from the other
boa, and it flashed down to its former posi-
ton and confronted its foe. The boas did
not rush together at once One would
strike at the other with the rapidity OF
lightning.
"With equal quickness that one would
avoid the rush by lodging to one side or
the other, and instantaly make counter
attack. This interesting sparring match