CHAPTER IV.
OF THE MOST REMARKABLE REPTILES AND INSECTS OF THE ISLAND, THEIR VENOMOUS AND OTHER QUALITIES, WITH REMARKS.
The principal and most remarkable of the reptiles and insects in Dominica are, snakes, lizards, wood-slaves, guanas, frogs, grugru worms, borer worms, centipédes, scorpions, spiders, sawyer flies, blacksmith flies, loggerhead flies, Spaniard flies, freemason flies, the wood-horse, and vegetable flies.
Some of the snakes are small, and others very large and thick. Of the last sort is that called by the French, “Tête du chien,” or Dog’s-head snake, from its head, which much resembles that of a dog. Some have been caught in this island that measured upwards of twelve feet in length, and as thick as a man’s leg. They have long, sharp teeth; their skins are scaled and beautifully spotted, and they have at the end of their tails a blunt-pointed, horny substance, which enables them to climb the trees.
The bite of these shakes is not venomous, nor is that of any kind of them in this island; but the tête du chien does much mischief among the birds in the woods; and on the plantations they frequently devour the fowls and other poultry. They will swallow a full-grown fowl with its feathers; and several of them have been killed there with both a large fowl and an Indian coney entire in their bowels.
A remarkable circumstance, which happened in this island some time ago, deserves to be noticed in this place. A negro retiring from work one day at noon, instead of going home to get his dinner, fell asleep under a shady tree; and being missing at the time the other negroes assembled together to finish their daily task, it caused a suspicion that some accident had befallen him; they accordingly went in search of him, and found him asleep, with one of his legs, up to the thick part of his thigh, in the jaws of a large snake. Awakened by their noise, he was in the greatest terror, and struggling to get disengaged, was severely bit by the animal; to prevent this as much as possible, wedges were placed between its jaws, whilst they cut it to pieces; by which means only he could be released. This operation took up some time, which together with the length of time, his leg and thigh had already been in the belly and jaws of the snake, reduced them almost to a state of digestion; and it was not till a considerable while after, that he recovered the intire use of them.
The fat of these snakes is esteemed an excellent remedy for the rheumatism, or for sprains, by rubbing it mixed with strong rum. Their flesh is eaten by many, particularly by the French, some of whom are very fond of it; but it is reckoned unwholesome, and to occasion the leprosy.
The skins of the tête du chien snakes are excellent for covering sword-sheaths, or other instrument cases, for which purpose they are in general used; but some surgeons make use of them in medicine.