The Egyptian Haje (Naja Haje), a near relation of the Indian cobra, is probably the asp of ancient authors, which Queen Cleopatra chose as the instrument of her death, to avoid figuring in the triumph of Augustus. Like the cobra, it inflates its neck when in a state of excitement, and as it raises its head on being approached, as if watchful for its safety, it was venerated by the ancient Egyptians as a symbol of divinity, and as the faithful guardian of their fields. Divine honours have, however, much more frequently been paid to the venomous snakes from the terror they inspire, than from far-fetched notions of beneficence. Several Indian tribes in North America adore the rattlesnake; and in the kingdom of Widah, on the coast of Guinea, a viper has its temple and ministers, and is no less carefully provided for than if it were an inmate of the Zoological Gardens.
The Cerastes, or horned viper, one of the most deadly serpents of the African deserts, is frequently exhibited by Egyptian jugglers, who handle and irritate it with impunity: they are supposed to render themselves invulnerable by the chewing of a certain root, but most likely, as in the case of the cobra-charmers, their secret consists in their courage and perfect knowledge of the animal’s nature.
Although the Boas and Pythons are unprovided with venomous fangs, yet, from their enormous size, they may well be ranked among the deadly snakes; for, as Waterton justly remarks, ‘it comes nearly to the same thing in the end whether the victim dies by poison from the fangs, which corrupts his blood, or whether his body be crushed to mummy and swallowed by a Python.’
The kingly Jiboya (Boa constrictor) inhabits the dry and sultry localities of the Brazilian forests, where he generally conceals himself in crevices and hollows in parts but little frequented by man, and sometimes attains a length of thirty feet. To catch his prey he ascends the trees, and lurks, hidden in the foliage, for the unfortunate agutis, pacas, and capybaras, whom their unlucky star may lead within his reach. When full-grown he seizes the passing deer; but, in spite of his large size, he is but little feared by the natives, as a single blow of a cudgel suffices to kill him. Prince Maximilian of Neu Wied tells us that the experienced hunter laughs when asked whether the Jiboya attacks and devours man.
The Sucuriaba, Anaconda, or Water Boa (Eunectes murinus), as it is variously named, abounds in the swampy lowlands of tropical America, where it attains so enormous a size that, according to trustworthy witnesses,[25] monsters more than sixty feet long are sometimes seen slowly crawling through the submerged groves of the Buriti palm. While lazily stretched out in the grass, it might easily be mistaken for the prostrate trunk of one of these noble trees. It passes most of its time, however, on the water, now reposing on a sand-bank with only its head above the surface of the stream, now rapidly swimming like an eel, or abandoning itself to the current of the river. Often, also, it suns itself on the sandy margin of the stream, or patiently awaits its prey, stretched out upon some rock or fallen tree. With sharp eye it observes all that swims in the waters, as well as all that flies over them, or all that comes to the banks to drink; neither fish nor aquatic bird is secure from its rapid assault, and woe to the capybara that comes within its grasp.
When preparing for an attack, it attaches itself with its tail to a tree or rock, and then suddenly darts its prodigious length upon its prey, the bones of which it breaks in its resistless folds before slowly swallowing it. A large snake will thus engulph a horse and its rider, or a whole ox as far as the horns, which eventually separate from the putrefying body. Even water-boas of a smaller size are able to swallow enormous masses; a deer and two pecaris were found in the stomach of one forty feet long. The chase of these hideous reptiles is not dangerous, for they are slow and cowardly, and a wound in the spine soon renders them stiff and unable to move. Their flesh is unfit to be eaten, but their fat is considered a remedy for consumption, and their tanned skin makes excellent coverings for saddles.
The boas principally inhabit America, although some species are likewise met with in Asia; but the still more formidable pythons are confined to the hot regions of the Old World. They are said to enlace even the tiger or the lion in their fatal embrace, and, to judge by their size and strength, this assertion seems by no means improbable.
SECRETARY BIRD.
The various serpent tribes are exposed to the attacks of many enemies, who fortunately keep their numbers within salutary bounds, and avenge the death of the countless insects, worms, toads, frogs, and lizards, that fall a prey to their strength or their venom. Several species of rapacious and aquatic birds live upon snakes, the American ostrich thins their ranks whenever he can, and the African Secretary is renowned for his prowess in serpentine warfare.