The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-10-24
Snakes.


Everyone" said Mr.. Beyer, .wfll
make war on every species of snake, be
It ever so harmless. Even the innocu-
Gus grass snake, entirely free of venom,
Is subject to attack. I believe it is the
old Scriptural idea of bruising the SER
pent's head"
ousp"
"By no means. To suspect every
snake of being poisonous is entirely
ridiculous. II every child were taught
at school which are harmless and
which are venomous there would be
very different state Of affairs. The dis
tinction is entirely neglected in the
schools, and it seems to me most re-
markable that such should be the case.
Nothing can be more important than
the knowledge of such difference. 1t Is
the general impression, for instance,
that the snake stings with its tongue.
II the slightest attention were paid TO
the construction of the animal this
folly would be at once discarded. The
tongue, so popularity believed to be an
instrument of terror, serves simply as a
guide. The tongue is composed of two
hair-ike parts, ending in Q great nerv-
Gus composition.
1.-The fact that not every snake is
poisonous Is known to almost every
body, but In q dangerous one the poison
is seated and originated in glands be-
hind the eyes, whence it is led through
channel to another smaller gland
hollow tooth, and q small movable
bone attached to the maxiliary bone.
One or two fangs are in action, but as
soon as one should break the next one
of the same construction-there are no
other teeth but poison-fangs found in
the upper jaw-takes its place. The
pressure of the fang against the bone
causes the gland to secrete q drop of
poison, which runs freely through the
tooth into the wound. paralyzing the
bitten part after some time.
"A good deal has been said about
the charming power with which snakes
are said to be endowed. and which is
said to have its seat in the eyes of the
reptile.
"The eye of a snake, especially of q
poisonous one, has certainly something
fascinating if accurate attention is Civ
en- only to that organ. But that it has
the power of charming can not be true,
because it is much too small to be i'm
mediately observed to such an extent.
nothing but the state of terror into
which man or creature is thrown
through the unexpected sight of the
reptile, as once had good opportunity
to experience in the forest Of Central
America My dog disturbed an arma-
dillo (desypils) and chased it into o
hole, but in the same moment q large
snake (tTigonocephdfus dtro1) rushed
out of it and prepared to strike. / was
almost paralyzed from terror and as
tonishment, and not able to move until
| my dog seized the snake, unfortunately
| to its own destruction. The bushmas-
| ter, as the snake is frequently called,
bit the poor dog twice, the effects Of
the poison killing it In less than half an
| hour.
"The snake having done the mis-
chief, tried to get away, but I had by
this time recovered myself, and q we'll
directed shot made him harmless for
ever. He measured six feet four inches
in length and seven inches in circum-
ference. The entire affair did not last
longer than about two minutes, but the
| eyes of the snake never noticed. I
only saw the tremendous reptile throw
ing back the broad and triangular head
and playing out the tongue with light
n1ng-1ke raplolty. AnOtner time OD-
served one Of the splendid grass green
zoas (riphosomG corifsd) as he was hid
den between the leaves of q bread-nut
tree brosimun alic0struns), trying to
| catch a bird.
l. "The little fellow could apparently
see nothing but the tongue of the snake
as it was moved worm-ike about to at
tract the attention of the bird. A few
moments later the latter came close
enough and was seized Immediately by
the snake, which, carrying off its prey,
disappeared between the thick foliage
of the tree.
1.-The manner in which most of the
poisonous snakes capture their food is
to await-well hidden-a passing ami
NAL or bird, and, If close enough. 10
strike it The snake does not even try
to hold the prey, but. knowing the ter
rible effects of the bite, lets it run and
then creeps up to the dead or dying
creature to swallow il. The latter
process consumes considerable time, as
the teeth of the reptile are not con-
structed to masticate and the prey con-
sequently must be swallowed entire.
''Non-poisonous snakes either await
their prey also or chase it into some
crevice, where 1t is caught and swal-
lowed, either alive or after being killed
through the powerful encircling of the
snake.-N. q. Times Democrat.