The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-02

A Cargo of Them valued at $50, 900 Des-
tined for tho Paris Exposition.

The Portuguese bark that in April left Para.
the big rubber port Of Brazil. with n cargo con-
sistng entirely Of snakes has landed them
safely in Europe. The collection was gathered
along the Amazon River. is valued at 500
600, and the purpose Is to exhibit the
whole lot at the Paris Exposition next year.
The snakes are owned by some French snake
charmers. and It took several years to get them
together. They include boa constructors of tho
largest size
The Amazon region Is an ideal place for
snake hunting. for the reptiles are very album
dant. A great deal OF work is required how
ever. to make representative collection OF
this genus OF the Amazon fauna. for different
species often live far apart. and great care Is
necessary to secure the finest specimens with
out injury. either alive or for museum pur-
poses. Some OF the largest snakes are found
very near the Atlantic, In the wet season SER
penis are very common in the neighborhOod OF
Para When the famous naturalist Bates made
his visit to the Amazon a lamplighter woke
him up early one morning in Para to show him
u boa constructor he had Just killed in the
street not far from Bates's door He had cut
the reptile nearly in two with large knife as
it was making its way down the sandy street
Native hunters sometimes capture boa con-
strictors alive In tho forests near Para.
little later Bates was near coming into COLI
sion with boa constructor He had lust entered
a little thcket to capture an insect when he
heard a rushing noise and thought squall was
coming. 1t proved, however. TO be one OF these
enormous snakes coming down a slope and
making the dry twigs crack with its weight az
It moved over them. Bates said he knew there
was no danger. and he kept his ground.
When the reptile saw him il suddenly turned
and glided at n faster rate down the path.
Boyd wished to note its size and coloring. and
set ont after it. but the reptile moved so
fast h" was unable to get near enough for his
purpose. There was little OF the serpentine
motion. The rapidly moving and shining body
looked like "A stream OF brown liquid flowing
over the thick bed Of fallen leaves rather than
like serpent OF varied colors.
In the wildernesses. where the BraZians
plant cacao. the collecting Of the fruit is often
dangerous from the number Of poisonous
snakes that frequent these places. The ana
conda is by far the most dangerous OF Amazon
reptiles 1t does not hesitate sometimes to
attack human beings. and it often haunts the
neigh bCrhoOd Of the settlements in order TO
get ducks and fowls. OF which II Is very fond
1t lives in the water great deal OF the time.
naturalist wrote while ago Of one OF these
snakes that had been despoing the hen coops
along tho river. Two parties Of young men
started in canoes to find the creature. They
searched all the little lnletS on both sides OF
the Amazon. and at last discovered the object
Of their search summing itself on log at the
mouth OF muddy stream. They killed it with
harpoons. 1t was not very large specimen.
measuring only eighteen feet nine inches aud
sixteen inches in circumference al the widest
part Of its body.
Ono day native killed an anaconda without
nnv weapon Just rs the creature was about to
make meal OF his lO-year-o old SOIL As the
lad was playing in the water the creature crept
upon him. and had involved him in it's coils be-
fore il was perceived The boy screamed for
help and "a the animal was drawing the coils
tighter the frantic father rushed to the spot,
tore its laws nsunder This formidable SER
pent grows to nm enormous size aud lives to Il
great age, Specimens have been killed meas
uring forty-two feet in length.