Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-03-17
For The Freeman.
A Chat with Farmers.
ABOUT ALTERNATING ANIMALS,
BY AGRICOLA.

OphdlanS, or reptiles without feet, are
classed among alternating animals. We
will here give them a passing notice.
They are called serpents or snakes, to suit
Convenience or taste, and include, accord.
ing to the earliest naturalsts, all air
breathing, viparious vertebrates of elon-
gated and rounded body, and without
limbs. The body is narrow and entirely
flexible, without any neck, and with conf.
cal tail The mouth is large, and the
teeth are sharp and hooked.
The snake takes off his seamless coat
once II year, and lays it aside. The young
are Matched from eggs, but sometimes
these eggs are Matched before they are
laid. When laid in the sand they are
patched by the agency of the heat and
air. After being Matched, they undergo
no change except their natural growth.
The spine consists of from one TO four
hundred vertebre which are movable in
every direction. The forked tongue is
held in Il sheath, and can be darted out
with great rapidity rs Il signal of open
war upon an assaiant. 1t has only a
single lung, but this is well developed.
1t moves by lateral unduation, using its
ribs and ventral plates for feet. 1t has a
very long spinal cord and small brain
with numerous vertebral nerves.
Now it seems very strange that an ami
nal so constructed can creep climb, swim.
construct, suspend itself by the tail. burrow
and raise itself almost erect; vet serpents
can do all these things. They are very
sensitive to cold, and fall into state OF
lethar9y in the winter. They are so ena.
cious of life that the heart will continue to
palpitate long after it has been removed
from the body, and the Jaws will open and
~hut after the head has been cut of. They
always sleep with their eyes open, because
they can't help it, having no eyelids to
close over them! BY these characteristics
Nerprns are distinguished from other
>ecics of reptiles. Indeed, they are the
only t1ue reptiles. They are divided into
Wo general classcs-the vcnomous ana
non-venomouS.
The first class embraces the cobra, rat.
tlesna>e and viper. These have movable
i;lngs in the upper jaw, communicating
with Il poison gland. They insist upon
Hrtng prey, which they swallow whole.
body and soul. Some are very rapid in
pursuit, others crush theirvictims to death,
or poison them. or charm them into thoir
mime late presence and then can,nra
them, They eat aud drink, but after long
astinq,
Male serpcpts are smaller moro slordor
and BRIGHTER than the females md thai
are more active also. They do not store
up food for their Young. nor toke snr NV
tice or care of them in anv wav Thor II,
take the precaution to hide their coos
where they will not be liable to iniurv 1 he
lone being matched.
There are about one thousand d;frarort
species Of sprpents, widely dis,rihnted
over the world. They are espeoinllv nv
merous in warm climates, Fossil srroent,
have been found in all the divisions of U ,ba
tertiary age. which measure soma t ", INV
feet in Ienoth in the eoccne Of En '%on'I
which indicates a chance If ciimata o" H.
northern Europe. '''' :"
Prof. Marsh giyes a Dissertation Of ,
fossil discovered in New .Iersav in w."
tertiary genera. and which inIics,sd ~ u s .me
pent thirty feet Iono allied 70 the nras SCI
marine species, F'N'N''
The viper is one Of the venomors Lind
of snakes. Int it has mn Mite ON ,ba s i'itu
of IFS face nor rallies in its ta, WV Tue sue
are some twenty snecies Of thaso n n1?a
are most abundant in warm clin mn,on
in Africa There ora tbra,