side, threatening every moment to protrude through the skin. The victim was now swallowed as far as the shoulders; and it was an astonishing sight to observe the extraordinary action of the snake's muscles when stretched to such an unnatural extent. When his head and neck had no other appearance than that of a serpent's skin, stuffed almost to bursting, still the working of the muscles were evident, and unabated; this seemed to be the effect of a contractile muscular power, assisted by two rows of strong hooked teeth. With all this he must be so formed as to be able to suspend his respiration for a time, for it is impossible to conceive that the process of breathing could be carried on while the mouth and throat were so completely stuffed and expanded by the body of the goat. The whole operation of completely gorging the animal, occupied about two hours and twenty minutes: at the end of which time the tumefaction or swelling was confined to the middle part of the body or stomach, the mouth and throat having resumed their natural size. The reptile now coiled himself up again, and laid quietly in his usual torpid state for about three weeks or a month, when his last meal appearing to be completely dissolved, he was presented with another goat, which he devoured with equal facility. Few of those who witnessed his first meal wished to be present at the second.

It is impossible to behold without the most painful sensation, the anxiety and trepidation of the harmless victim, or to observe the hideous writhings of the serpent around his prey, and not to imagine what our own case would be in the same dreadful situation.—M'LEOD's Voyage of the Alceste.

REMARKABLE TREES

BREAD-FRUIT TREE.

THOUGH this tree has been mentioned by many voya gers, particularly by Dampier, by Rumphius, and by Lord Anson, yet very little notice seems to have been taken of

F

it till the return of Captain Wallis from the South Seas, and since that time by others who have touched at Ota heite and some countries in the East Indies.

Captain Cook, in his voyage, observes, that this fruit not only serves as a substitute for bread among the inhabitants of Otaheite and the neighbouring islands, but also, variously dressed, composes the principal part of their food. It grows on a tree that is about the size of a middling oak; its leaves are frequently a foot and a half long, of an oblong shape, deeply sinuated like those of the figtree which they resemble in colour and consistence, and in the exsuding of a milky juice upon being broken. The fruit is about the size and shape of a small melon, and the surface is reticulated not much unlike a truffle; it is covered with a thin skin, and has a core about as big as the handle of a small knife. The eatable part lies between the skin and the core; it is as white as snow, and somewhat of the consistence of new bread; it must be roasted before it is eaten, being first divided into three or four parts; its taste is insipid, with a slight sweetness, somewhat resembling that of the crumb of wheaten bread mixed with a Jerusalem artichoke. This fruit is also cooked in a kind of oven, which renders it soft, and something like a boiled potatoe; not quite so farinaceous as a good one, but more so than those of the middling sort. Of the bread-fruit they also make three dishes, by putting either water or the milk of the cocoa-nut to it, then beating it to a paste with a stone pestle, and afterwards mixing it with ripe plantains, bananas, or the sour paste, which they call mahie.

The mahie, which is likewise made to serve as a succedaneum for ripe bread-fruit before the season comes on is thus made: the fruit of the bread-tree is gathered just before it is perfectly ripe; and being laid in heaps, is closely covered with leaves; in this state it undergoes a fermentation, and becomes disagreeably sweet; the core is then taken out entire, which is done by gently pulling out the stalk, and the rest of the fruit is then thrown into a hole which is dug for that purpose, generally in the houses, and neatly lined in the bottom and sides with grass the whole is then covered with leaves, and heavy stones laid upon them; in this state it undergoes a second