Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1870-01-06
Number 8.
The LOoOmoiiOn Of the Serpent.


1t is said-and in one sense it is true
-thst serpents have no limbs; but
some Of the boas and pythons have at
the bsse of the tail. on each side Of the
vent. little hook. which is supported
by bone imbedded in the flesh; snd
this rudimentary limb is no doubt the
insignificant representative Of the kind
er leg of the ordinary quadruped. and
of our own lower limb; Just as the nip
Piles Of the male msmmalis answer to
the fully developed breasts of the fs
male; and just as our eye-teeth corres-
pond to the canine tusks of the lion.
Nor is the serpent restricted to q
single method of progression. or even
to two or three. There are even four
or FIVE distinct ways in which its 1.-THE
and slender body may be used The
slowest, but least conspicuous. is the
stealthy glide ofretreat, when you can
scarcely perceive movement of any
one part, and yet the whole body does
advance steadily; but if you have the
courage to place your hand quietly in
the serpent's path, and allow it to pass
over it, you win perceive 4 sensation
as of series of dull edges. like those
of paper knives, striking the hand
backward. Each edge is that of the
broad overlapping scales, or "scutes,"
which cover the belly of the snake.
and each scute is moved forward and
backward by corresponding pair of
ribs, Of which there are from one hun
dred to two hundred and fifty in differ
ent species: and so, though commonly
covered by skin, and capable of but
slight individual motion, each pair of
ribs is 2 pair of legs, and each scute is
single foot, which slips forward with
out hindranee, but whose hinder edge
catches upon the least inequality, and
so serves as q point of resistance by
which the body is pushed forward
little. And this little, multiplied by
the hundred pair of ribs, is enough to
propel the snake slowly but steadily
onward, and in straight line.
The above arrangement of the scute
also enables the serpent to move in sew
eral other ways, in which the ribs are
less directly, or at any rate less indi-
vidually concerned; for the backward
projecting edges hinder movement in
any other than a forward direction,
whether the serpent merely fixes one
region of the body and then drags the
others after it. or throws itself into ver-
tical or lateral undulations, by the sue
cessive Strengthening, of which more
rapid movement is effected. The
greatest speed is attained when it ele-
Yates the body in lofty arch, and
then projects the head forward, draws
up the tail, and repeats its steps, after
the fashion of the so-called geometer
or measuring caterpillars.
1t is commonly believed that some
serpents can take the tail in the mouth
and roll along like hoop; but no such
proceeding is scientifically described.
Many species, however, may spring
by suddenly uucoiling themselves into
a nearly erect position, and using the
tail as the point of resistance. The ra-
pidity of this movement is less remark
able than its precision, when 1t is con
si6cred that every change in the posi-
ton of any part of the spiral ~Tsr tena
To aGA@. .hU position OF the head
From Beast, Bird and Fish" By Burt
@ W,ldsr, in Rarper's Magazine for
January.