The Arizona sentinel., 1885-10-17
J. W. DORRINGTON, Proprietor.
NUMBER 46.

In the Southern States. It is from
three to four feet long, and lives in
swampy places, often on tufts and
hummocks of grass. 1t is short
thick snake, with rough scales. When
young it is of greenish hue, with
dark bands on the neck; but when old
it becomes almost black. The COM
mon water-snake of the North is often
called a moceasin, though it is not at
all ike the true moecasin, and is quite
harmless
All snakes may be divided into three
classes. nose that kin by poison, thoss
that cOnsJ u, OF coil around their Prev
and those that swallow their prey alive.
Their mode 4 swallowing is one of the
most remar able features of snake life,
since they often swallow creatures much
larger than themselves. 1t is rather
curious to see a Slim-bodied serpent
slowly swallowing q fat frog two or
three times its diameter, and looking
after the operation like rubber tube
with base ball in its center.
In fact, all snakes have rubber-like
power of stretching The head is very
curiously constructed. Instead of the
bones being firmly joined together, as
in other animals, they are held together
by elastic igaments. These readily
stretch, so that the bones can be pulled
apart, and the opening of the jaws
greatly widened. 1t is the same with
the body. 1t has great stretching pow
ers, and can easily hold something of a
diameter several times larger than its
Pr1t ckA Nhof
times told of the great tropical boas
swallowing oxen or other large animals
need not be believed. In these travel
ers' stories there is shown a power of
stretching which beats that of any
snake.
No one need believe the story that
the snake licks its prey all over, and
covers it with Shiny substance before
attempting to swallow it Snakes have
great flow of saliva, and their food
when taken into the mouth is quickly
covered with a Shiny substance which
makes it more easily swallowed.
The snakes mouth has six rows of
long, fine teeth, curved inward, which
are not suited to cut or bite, but are
good at holding on. When frog,
mouse or bird is caught, it is worked
into the mouth, the teeth letting it en-
ter easily, but not letting it out again.
The six bones which bear the teeth each
moves separately, and each keeps loos-
ing its hold and taking a new hold fur
ther out, so that the prey is steadily
drawn back by this active motion.
The bodies of all snakes are covered
with scales. These help them in their
movement by the friction of their edges
with the ground. But the main moving
organs are the ribs. Of these some
snakes have as many as three hundred
pairs, all movable and able to press back
ward through the skin upon the ground.
AS to the power of snakes to charm
other animals this needs yetto be proved
1t is well known that many animals
become motionless and helpless when
seriously frightened. and what is usually
charming is probably this effect OF
fright The wonderful stories of bird
charming by snakes are no doubt lit
tie embellished to make them seem
more remarkable. 1t is possible that
the effect is something like what we
call mesmerism, or animal magnetism.
Snakes are divided by some writers
into five classes burrowing. the
ground, the tree, the fresh-water and
the sea-snakes. The burrowers live
mainly underground. They have short.
stiff body, with firm. close-set scales,
and live on worms and slugs, etc The
tree-snakes are small-siZed, swift-mov-
ing creatures, often bright green IN
color. Many of them can swing down.
ward by the tail when seeking their ia
vorite food of eggs or young birds Some
of them are poisonous. The ground
snakes comprise far the greater number.
and are those best known. Though
ordinarily living on the ground, they
frequently take to trees or TO the water.
The true water-snakes are small In SIZE
and harmless, though poisonous ground
snakes often frequent the water.
Snakes are very fond of milk, though
they do not milk cows, as has been as
serted. They are also fond of eggs, and
there is story of a cobra having en-
tered hen-house through chink and
swallowed so many eggs that ne could
not get out again. The rob6er was
slain, the eggs placed under the hen
again, and duly Matched out as II moth
ing had happened.
On an average, snakes sleep half the
year, while the green garter snake
of the United States sleeps eight months
out of the twelve. Charles Morris, IN
Harper'S Young People.
Mistaken identity.