Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-19
Foisos0Us s~EhrEsfs.
statistics Orthe Number OF FOLKS
They XIII.
uarpsr.s Young People.

tcnOm0uS snakes are those which
have two hollow teeth in the upper
jaw through which they eject poison
into the wound made byl their
bite. The great majority OF snakes
are not venomous, but nevertheless
there are more venomous snakes in
tho world than most people really re-
quire.
There are two classes Of venomous
snakes--those whose bite is certain
death, and those whose bite can be
cured. The only venomous snake
inhabiting Europe is the viper, but
its bite is seldom fatal. In the United
States. with the possible exception OF
New Mexico and Arizona, there are
emily three venomous snakes, the
rattlesnake, the copperhead, and tie
moccasin. All our other snakes ate
harmless. In some places the copper
head is known as the fatheaded adder,
but the other species OF snakes to
which the name adder" is often
given BY country people, are as
harmless as the pretty little garter
snake.
Central and South America have
many venomous snakes whose bite is
always fatal. Among these the best
known are the coral snake. the tuboba,
and the dana blanca. A British
naval vessel on its way up a South
American river a few years ago,
anchored for the night, and a number
Of officers thought they would 90
ashore and sleep 10 a deserted shanty
that stood on the bank, where they
fancied that the air would be cooler
than it was on board the vessel. When
they reached the shanty one Of them
said he thought he would 80 back to
the ship. and all the others, with one
exception, said they would follow him,
The officer who determined to stay
swung his hammock from the beams
Of tho root. and was soon asleep. HC
woke early in the morning, and, 10 hil
horror, found that three snakes were
sleeping on his body, and that other,
were hanging from the rafters Of
gliding over the floor He recognised
among them snakes whose bite mean.
death within an hour or two, anC
, he did not dare to move a finger
He lay in his hammock unit
the sun grew warm and the snake
glided back to their holes. His com
panions had noticed that the plac.
looked as if it was infested will
snakes, but had cruelty reirained iron
warning him. The officer was one 0
the bravest men that ever lived, blu
t he could never speak of his nigh
among the snakes without a shud
5 der.
Q In one Of the West India Islands
G Martinque-there is a snake called h
: lance-headed viper, which is almos
as deadly as the coral snake. Tn
East Indies are full of venomou
snakes, and in British India nearl
10000 persons are killed every yea
by snake bites. OF the East Ind
snakes whose bite is incurable, tn
y cobra is the most numerous, but til
diamond snake, tho tubora and II
ophiophsgus are also the cause {
y many deaths. The British govern
ment has offered a large reward for ii
discovery of an antidote to the poisC
/ Of the cobra, but no one has yet bee
n able to claim it.
ls Africa, like all tropical countrie
has many species Of venomous snake
l. The horned cerast0s is the snak
% from whose bite Cleopatra is said
d have died, and from its small size an
d its habit Of burying itself. all but i
head, in the sand, it is peculiar
dreaded by the natives. The uglic
Of these snakes is the great puff adde
~ which often grows to the length
FIVE or six feet, and whose poison
&c used by the natives in makil
y poisoned arrows.
er 1t is a very curious fact that 4
ey poison Of venomous snakes cannot
II; distinguished by the chemist from t
n; white Of an egg. And yet one kind
nd snake poison will produce an tffe
re entirely unlike that produced
ey another kind. The blood of an al
n. NAL bitten by a cobra is decOmpos
and turned into a thin, watery, stri
Us colored fluid, while the blood of ,
a animal bitten by a coral snake
.es sOlidifed, and looks very much Ii
current Jelly. Nevertheless, t
Dts poison Of the cobra and that Of t
he coral snake seem to be precisely ali
when analysed by the chemist and
ms apparently composed Of the sal
we substances in the same proportion
ret is the white Of an egg.