mauress, the Brown Aboma of Gray, in of a brown colour, and is a native of Venezuela Spix), the Bojobi, or Green Boa. It is a native of America. It is greenish, with white irregular longish spots somewhat annulrudy disposed. This is the Boa viridis of Boddaert, the Boa thalassina of Laurenti, the Bojobi of the Brazilians, the Tetrauchoat] Tleoa (a Mexican name) according to Seba, and the Cobra Verde of the Portuguese, who relate that these serpents sometimes remain in the houses, doing no harm till irritated, when they at last bite and inflict a wound full of danger, not from injected poison, for the serpent has none, but on account of the injury sustained by the nerves from the very sharp, slender, and long teeth. Great in flammation follows, and the symptoms are aggravated by terror, so that a gangrene is the consequence unless the proper remedies are applied. In the absence of these, certain death is said to be the consequence of a severe bite from this serpent. The imme diate cause of death is not stated by Seba, but from the long and penetrating teeth of the Bojobi it may be presumed to be often tetanus or locked jaw. Seba says that this species varies in size, adding that the spe cimen from which his figure was taken was more than two cubits in length. Cuvier is of opinion that the Boa hipmsle is only a young Bojobi or Boa canine.
Living specimens of this snake are in the Gardens of the Zoological Society, Regent's Park.
8. CoraIlus. Forehead and crown scaly ; muzzle with regular shields; labial shields short, hinder ones pitted. There is but one species : C. hortulanus, the Cencoatl. It is most extensively distributed in South America, and amongst the specimens in the British Museum several varieties can be distinctly observed. This snake, which is_the Coluber hortulanus and Boa hortulana of Linnaeus, has been extensively observed, and hag numerous synonyms.
9. Sanzinia. Forehead and crown scaly; muzzle with regular shields; labial shields elongate prismatic.
S. Madagascarientis, the Sanzin of Madagascar, is the only species, and of this a specimen exists in the Museum at Paris ; there is none in the British Museum.
IO. Cliftia. Forehead and crown scaly; muzzle with regular shields ; labial shields broad, low. Dr. Gray remarks of this genus that it may be the same as Casarea, "but the scales in the dry specimens are not keeled ; and the front upper labial shields appear to be pitted, and the tail is short." C. fusee, a native of India, is the only species.
" Scales smooth ; labial shields smooth, not pitted.
H. Boa. Crown covered with scales • nostrils lateral, between two plates. There are four species of Boa, of which have been described as the Boa Constrictor, and it is always difficult to identify the particular species of snake referred to by travellers, on account of the loose manner in which the name is generally employed.
B. Constrictor of Linnaeus (the Boa Constrictrix of Schneider, Con strictor formorissimus of Laurenti), the Boiguacu, is characterised by the scaly circle of the orbit being separated from the upper labial plates by one or two series of scales. It is also distinguished by a large chain extending the whole length of the back, composed alternately of great blackish stains or spots irregularly hexagonal, and of pale oval stains or spots notched or jagged at either end, the whole forming a very elegant pattern. Shaw, in his lectures, mentions a skin of this species measuring 35 feet, preserved in the British Museum, and adds, that it is probable that many ages ago much larger specimens might have occurred than any at present to be found, the increased population and cultivation of most countries having tended more and more to lessen the number of such animals. The locality of this species, according to the best authorities, is confined to the New World. Daudin, indeed, believed that it was found in the ancient continent, but without sufficient grounds for his opinion. Le Valliant and Humboldt brought it from Guyana, and the Prince de Wicd found it in BraziL Cuvier gives it as his opinion that there are no true boas of large size in the Old World. All the specimens in the British Museum are from tropical America.
Linnaeus, quoting Dahlberg, says that the Boa Constrictor was worshipped by the Americans.
"Snake-worship," says Dr. Southey, in his notes to Madoc, "was common in America." (Berne Dios, p. 3, 7,125.) The idol described, vii. p. 25, somewhat resembles what the Spaniards found at Cam peche, which is thus described by the oldest historian of the discoveries :—" Our men were conducted to a broade crosse-way, standing on the side of the towns. Here they show them a square stage or pulpit fours steppes high, partly of clammy bitumen, and partly of small stones, whereto the image of a man cut in marble was joyned, two foure-footed unknown beastes fastening upon him, which, like madde dogges, seemed they would tear the marble man's guts out of his belly. And by the image stood a serpent, besmeared all with goare blond, devouring a marble lion, which serpent, com pacted of bitumen and small stones incorporated together, was seven and fortie feats in length, and as thicke as a great oxe. Next unto it were three rafters or stakes fastened to the grounds, which three others crossed under-propped with stones ; in which place they punish malefactors condemned, for proof whereof they saw innumerable broken arrowes, all bloudie, scattered on the grounde, and the bones of the dead cast into an inclosed courte neere unto it."—Pietro Martire.