The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-07-18
BATTLING BoAs.

From the New York sun
Brazil is the home of the most gi-
gantic boa constructors in the world"
said Henry Closer, of Metropolis, o.,
the professional snake hunter and
dealer, known TO circus and museum
| managers throughout the country as
Big Doe" and "Old Dollar a Foot"
that being his market price for ordi-
nary snakes. ''On my last trip to Bra
I'll after snakes l didn't meet with the
success I expected to, but 1 brought
back one OF the best snake stories, l
think, that ever came from that land OF
serpentS.
''Boas, both male and female, often
fight tiercely over prey that one snake
has captured and which another one
covets, and at certain seasons OF the
year deadly conbats between male boas
are frequent, the fight being over the
possession OF female for a mate. 1t
was sight such as this that 1 wit
messed one day in the depths of Bra
lillian forest. wasn't out after snakes
that day. either. If l 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.
81 was out taking a 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 l 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 writhing and twisting IN
such desperate struggle, that big
punches of leaves 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 fash of lightning.
The other snake flashed in the same
way up into another tree fifteen feet
distant from the first one. l feared
that the fight had come to an end, be
cause one of the snakes seemed 10 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 culver
as if a wind were passing through and
agitating them.
suddenly each boa, ooiling its tail
around branch high up in its tree,
dropped like a plummet toward the
ground and hung at full length, its
head raised but few inches above the
ground. For a moment their great
bodies swayed to and fro like slowly
moving pendulums Their eyes gilt
tered like fire. Then each serpent
drew itself quickly half its length
above the ground Like an arrow each
head shot forward, and instantly the
two enormous reptiles were locked in
each others coils like immense cables
twisted together.
"Up and down, TO and fro, the with
ing mass moved in quick uISiulation,
each serpent struggling for an opening
that would place the other at disad-
vantage. Their forked tongues darted
in and out of their mouths like Jets
of flame, and their kissing was inces-
SAINT.
THE troops Of chattering monkey
spectators had been joined bv hundreds
of harsh-voiced but brilliantly plumed
birds, which few frantically about,
and added their excited cries 70 the
deafening monkey chorus.
The desperate mid-air struggle be
tween 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 snakes lay quietly, each
glazing at the other.
suddenly in one OF the trees a hiss
like escaping steam was heard and the /
boa in that tree shot his great length /
toward the ground again. The chal- /
longing Mss was answered BY one stil !
louder from the other boa, and IL I
flashed down TO its former position and 1
confronted its foe. The boas did not I
strike at the other with the rapidity % 4
lightning.
with equal ouickness that one 4
would avoid the rush or dodFing 10 one !
side or the other, and instantly make = .
counter attack. This interesting spar .
ring match lasted for a. least Eve min 4
utes. when one OF the snakes drew 4
itself two or three feet above the other 4
and made quick downward fsiut It's .
antagonist cuckec Is head lower 20 .
avoid the stroke, and that movement 4
was fatal The upper boa oarted on i
down. and 50 quickly was its deadly IL .
teution carried out that svzs not aware
l. had been done until l saw the upper
snake with three OF is coils around The
lower one
There was dreadful branching 81 .
bones and n the tWiazling q az eye
tn. victorious snake had drawn the
vznauished che three folds further
within - fearful embrace. There was
more erurchiug q bones and by ce-
r-eas tire tal = TIRE defeated serpent
ureoilesi from rs No.. on the braacn g ?
the Tree. ard a. las -Ee great reptile
droppe1 heavily % f5s EvoulG- =
crushed s1d Ilfe-ess HAS, For mo-
neat lie VICTOR Ez-6 tie vzc4-.sae1 -