B MOLLARE, or MOLLE, one of the notes of the scale of music, usually called soft or flat, in opposition to b quadro.
BOA, in natural history, a genus of ser pents, of which the generic character is, plates on the belly and under the tail, without a rattle. Gmelin , mentions ten species only, but Dr. Shaw and others enu merate as many as eighteen, B. contor trix is found in Carolina, and has about 150 plates on the belly, and 40 on the tail ; it is broad, with a convex back ; co lour cinereons, with lateral round spots ; has a poisonous bag, but no fangs ; tail from one third to a half the length of the whole body : it is very slow in its motions. B. constrictor is very remarkable for its vast size, some of the principal species which arc met with in India, Africa, and South America, have been seen between 30 and 40 feet long, and possessed of so much strengh as to be able to kill cattle, by twisting around them and crushing them to death by pressure, after which they devour them, eating till they are al most unable to move ; in that state they may be easily shot. Dr. Shaw observes, that these gigantic serpents are become less common, in proportion to the increas ed population of the parts where they are found ; they are, however, still to be seen, and will approach the abodes in the vici nity of their residence. This species is beautifully variegated with rhombic spots; belly whitish ; is of vast strength and size, measuring 30 and 36 feet long. With respect to age, sex, and climate, it is sop ject to considerable variations. It is sup posed that an individual of this species once diffused terror and dismay in a whole Roman army, a fact alluded to by Livy in one of the books that have not come to us, but which is quoted by Vale rius Maximus, in words to the following effect': " Since we are on the subject of uncommon phenomena, we may here men ton the serpent so eloquently recorded by Livy, who says that near the river Ba grads in Africa, a snake was seen of so enormous a magnitude, as to prevent the army of Attains Regulus from the use of the river ; and after snatching up seve ral soldiers with its enormous mouth, and devouring them, and killing several more by striking and squeezing them with the spires of its tail, was at length destroyed, by assailing it with all the force of mili tary engines and showers of stone, after it had withstood the attack of their spears and darts ; that it was regarded by the whole army as a more formidable enemy than even Carthage itself; and that the whole adjacent region being tainted with the pestilential effluvia proceeding from its remains, and the waters with its blood, the Roman army was obliged to remove its station. The skin of the monster was
120 feet long, and was sent to Rome as a trophy." Another account says, that " it caused so much trouble to Regulus, that he found it necessary to contest the possession of the river with it, by employing the whole force of the army, during which a con siderable number of soldiers were lost, while the serpent could neither be van quished nor wounded, the strong ar mour of its scales easily repelling the force of all the weapons that were direct ed against it : upon which recourse was had to battering engines, with which the animal was attacked in the manner of a fortified tower, and was thus at length overpowered. Several discharges were made against it without. success, till its back being broken by an immense stone, the monster began to lose its powers, and was with difficulty destroyed, after hay big diffused such a horror among the ar my, that they confessed they would rather attack Carthage itself than such another monster." The flesh of the serpent is eaten by the Indians and Negroes of Africa, and they make its skin into garments.
BOgy scytale, or spotted. The spotted boa is sometimes scarcely inferior-in size to the constrictor, and is of similar man ners, destroying, like that animal, goats, sheep, deer, &c. It is described as being generally of a grey or glaucous colour, marked with large orbicular black spots on the back, and with smaller ones of si milar form, but with white centres; on the sides ; while on the abdomen are scat tered several oblong spots and marks, in terspersed with smaller specks and varie gations. It is a native of several parts of South America. And, like other large snakes, is occasionally eaten by the In dians.