AN ANACONDA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 181, 2 August 1877, Page 4

AN ANACONDA.

An illustrious visitor from South ' America has arrived at the London Zoological Society's Garden?. He is one of the largest of the Boaidos family known to our generation. He is aif anaconda (Eunectes niHrinus). This immense snake is now eafely housed in the shake-house, under the parental care of Holland, who has for many' years so ably managed the snakes poisonous and non -poisonous. Our visitor, says Mr F. Buckland, arrived at Liverpool in a large box. Intelligence was given to Mr Bartlelt, who 1 proceeded to Liverpool to inspect him —a matter of considerable difficulty. It will not do to buy an expensive snake of this kind without a warranty. Snakes are very liable to canker in the mouth. The goms get swollen and flabby, and completely conceal the teeth, co that the- beast cannot feed. Again, if snakes are injured in the capture, they frequently die iv consequence, It was necessary to examine the snake as to tbese two pointsHaving been shut up ior several, months without food and in tbe dark, tbe anaconda was not in a good temper.. When the lid was open Mr Bartlet. caught him tight round the neck with both hands; it was not necessary to open the mouth, as the savage snake did that soon enough of himself in true anger, A moment's inspection showed be had no disease of the gums. It was with some difficulty that Mr Bartiett got his head back into the box without letting out more than a foot or two of his body. The anaconda has not poisonous teeth, but baa great and dangerous powers of crushing. The box with the snake weighed upwards of 2 owt. It was with much dodging that the anaconda was conducted by his two keepers to his new quarters, where he at once retreated into a bath of warm water, from which as yet he has only emerged once or twice. It is difficult to give the exact length of the snake, as he is not to be measured with as much facility aa a fathom of rope. He is now lying in three parallel folds in his bath; we know the length of the bath, and we calculate bia length to be between 18 and 20 feet — a tremendous fellow. It waa impossible to get a tape measure round him; but having measured bis diameter in his thickest part, we conclude that he is over 2ft round the body. At present he is thio, and hia akin fits him very loosely. It is hoped that he will soon begin to feed. Mr Bartiett has found out how to make Mr Anaconda feed. He covers his bath over at night, and puts therein with the snake a duck. The duck is always gone in the morning, and the snake appears fatter. Anaconda is decidedly nocturnal and aquatic in his habits. Like our own British snake it is found in marshy, damp, places, and be feeds upon animals which come down to drink at night. Mr Bartiett bas ascertained that the last meal tbis snake bad, consisted of a young peccary, the horny part of the hoofs having been discovered in the stones at the bottom of the cage; there are also the hairs of another animal, which has to be diagnosed by microscopiste. This tropical American anake is also called the Aboma. The provincial name is El Iraga venada, or the deer-awallower He never interferes witb men, although, of course, he will take his own part if attacked. It is greatly to be hoped tbat this magnificent snake will iq time get an appetite, and recover from his travel-worn appearance. His color may be described as buff, with very dark markings on the upper parts. His companion in the cage is a magnificent reticulated python (Ular sawa), caught at Penang. He has been at the gardens since August, 1876, and has not' eaten anything since he arrived. He shed his skin on Sunday, February 25, and ia now most lovely to behold. It would be impossible to describe the tints of the new skin (a splendid lacing of bronze, blue, go!d, und black) . xeept by saying tbat they are quite as gorgeous as a peacock's plumage.