The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-10-17
Steam Job Printing.
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stretch, so that the bones can be pulled
apart. and. the opening of the jaws
greatly widened. Ii Is the same with
the body. II has great stretching pow
ers, and can easily hold something of n
diameter several times larger than its
own. But the stories that are some
swallowing oxen or other large animals
need not be believed. In these travel
ers' stories there is shown power OF
stretching which beats that OF any
snake.
No one need believe the story that
the snake ticks its prey all over, and
covers il with Shiny substance before
attempting to swallow il Snakes have
crest flow Of saliva, and their food
when taken into the, mouth is quickly
covered with Shiny substance which
makes 1t more easily swallowed.
The snakes mouth has six rows Of
long. hne teeth, curved inward, which
are not suited to cut or bite, but are
good at holding on. When a frog,
mouse or bird is caught, it is worked
into the mouth. the teeth letting II 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 new hold fur
Their 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 70 charm
other animals this needs yet to 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 a lit
tie embcllished to make them seem
more remarkable. II is possible that
the effect is something ike what we
call mesmerism. Or animal magnetism.
Snakes are divided by some writers
into five .classes-the burrowlng, the
ground, the tree. the fresh-water and
the sea-snakes The borrowers live
mainly underground. They have short.
stiff body, with firm. close scales,
and live on worms and slugs, etc. The
tree-snakes are small-sizcd, swift-mov-
ing creatures. often bright. green In
color. Many of them can swing down.
ward by the tail when seeking their ia
vorte 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 10 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, MS has been as
serted. They are also fond of eggs, and
there is a story of cobra having en-
tered hen-house through chink and
swallowed SO many eggs that he could
not get out again. The robber 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
Hayper's Young People.