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Show FOREIGN BRIEFS. It is officially announce'! that tho protocol has been sicued. protocol has been signed. Negotiation is now on foot for the purchase of the celebrated Stevens battery by an European power. The London papers look for the immediate signature of the protocol and a speedy demoboliiuUon by Turkey and Russia. The Bank of France has advanced $100,000,000 to Russia to enable the government to redeem the debt ar.d interest due in April. Weston and O'Leary begin on Monday morning at 12 o'clock, a walk of aix days, for 5,000 a side, in Agricultural hall, Islington, England, i On the 24th inst. orders , were sent to the commanders of all the Russian camps in Bessabaria with reference Lo an advance towards the frontiers on April 3d. I I THE ANACONDA. ARK1VAT, OF A LARGE SPECIMEN AT THE LONDON ZJOLOGICAL GAliltESd. With the commencement of the London season has arrived an illui-trious illui-trious visitor from South America. He is one of the largest of the Baaidas family known to' our generation. He is an anacouda (Eunectes murinus), which, as I translate it, means "The good swimming mouse or dear-eater." dear-eater." This immense snake is now safely housed in the snake-house in the Zoological gardens, unJer the parental care of Holland, who has for many years bo ably managed the en;ikes, poisonous and non-poisonous. Our visitor arrived at Liverpool in a Urge box. Intelligence was given to Mr. Bartlett, who 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. Suakes are very liable to canker in the mouth. The gums get swollen and flabby, and completely conceal the teeth, so that the beast cannot feed. Again, if snakes are injured in the capture they frequently die in consequence. conse-quence. It was necessary to examine the snake as to these two points. Having been shut up for several months without lood. aud in the dark, the anaconda was not in good temper. When the lid was opened Mr. Barllett caught him right around the neck with both hands; it was not necessary to open the mouth, as the snake did that soon enough himself, iu true anger. A moment's inspection showed he had no disease of tbe gums. It was with difficulty that Mr. Bartlett got his head back into the box without letting out more than a foot or two of his body. Tne anaconda has not poisonous teeth, but has great and dangerous powers of crushing. The box with the snake weighed over two hundred. It was with much dodging that tbe anaconda wns conducted by two keepers to his new quarters, whero he at onco retreated into a bath of warm water, from which he has as yet only emerged once or twice. It is difficult to tell the exact twice. It is difficult to tell the exact length of the snake, as he is not to be measured with as much felicity as a fathom of rope. He ia now lying in three parallel folds in hia bath; we know the length of tho bath, and we calculate his length to bo between eighteen and twenty feet a tremendous tremen-dous fellow. It was impossible to get a tape measure round him, but having hav-ing measured bis diameter in his thickest part, we conclude that he U over two feet round the body. At present he is thin and hia skin fits him very loosely. It is hoped that he will soon begin to feed. Mr. Bartlett with his usual ingenuity, has found out how to make Mr. Anaconda feed. Ho covers his batli over at night, and puts therein with the snake a duck. The duck is always gone in the morning, morn-ing, and the snake appears tatter. Anaconda is decidedly nocturnal and aquatic in his habits. Like our own British snake, it is found in marshy, damp places, and ho feeds upon animals ani-mals which come down to drink at night. Mr. Bartlett has ascertained that the last meal of this snake had consisted of a young pecarry, the horny part of tho hoofs having been discovered in the stones at the bottom of the cage; there are also the hairs of another animal, which have to be ' diagonized by microscopists. This tropicul American snake is also called the "Aboma." The pro vincial name is "El trago vc- 1 nado," or deer Bwallowcr. He never interferes with men, although of course ho will take his own part if attacked. It is greatly to be hoped that this magnificent snako will in time get an appetite and recover from his travel-worn appearance. His color may bo described as bufi with verv dark markings on tho upper parts. His companion in the cage is a magnificent Reticulated Python (UiarSawa) caught at Penang. He has been at the gardens since August, 1S7G, and has not eaten anything since ho arrived. Ho shed bi3 skin lant Sunday atid is now most lovely to behold. It would be impossible to describe the tints of the new Bkin (a splendid lacing of bronze, blue, gold and black), except by Baying that they are quite as gorgeous as a peacock's pea-cock's plumage, I havo had so tno Biiake-skins tanned, a lady having promised to ear a dress ornamented with them. Eve dre?ecd in snake skins is too good a point to be overlooked. Frank Buckland in Land and Water. |