The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-01
SEA SERPENT. INDIAN OCEAN,

long to the old World ii}ime,esa,qj are indiSp
and dozen different species are given and
snakes. with rather short. tails. which can n
sE and thus they are enabled t.
ossph FaSer tRsm
fierce and venomous snakes. yet they are the
cause Of but few deaths: though a species Of
has been said to have caused the death OF two
men in five minutes In length they vary
six s0Gs tn ne to soed Har
Ordinarily the effects o. their poison OF Venom
are severe pain and swelling OF the bitten part
ness. depression. fever. aud then sloughina OF
The ns bitten part after which recovery Is rapid;
apt f lie sa aaeey BY hS lxaxes
turbed. when they are sometimes fierce and
By FIRST drawing back the head " and ante y S
are said to yibrate the tail At the same Tine"
esa Srass &c sS
tree frogs. some OF them. at least. live chiefly
sSs as sas s d9Snd
amid Shsh pass he eGo lives. and wsss
eish. and did not make the least ATTEMPT tn BIT to
Wen whn IN the
ously. Ono had broken both his fungs in
The question OF the great sea SERPENT" has
OF late come before us with an episcopal sane
tion but whatever may be the EXPLANATION Of
certain currency to belief In tho existence OF
an unknown marine monster OF some kind.
They are ali marine. and. with the exception
OF one or two species never mutt the water. As
they bring forth their young alive. and these
can swim as soon as they are born. Mr..
to o. New Gs"ea and SoS aas
and 3sS EGXses Ss s9%
Japan and southwark tS New Zealand, They
laternlly fattenrd tail. Twenty-seven distinct
species arc known rs Indian. and there are
Two. OF these are loss absolutely no uatic than
hey Ssyn t ssn ,Ss sss Fs e DsS Of s 5
t hss been asserted nat thy may attsln
common snake in form and arrangement. save
that the two anterior teeth Of the outer series
serVe a pSson anss Thet. be
to eighteen solid teeth behind these fanGs.
and sometimes the teeth behind tho poison
Like oil other sornents. these. though per-
manentiy inhsbitlng the sea; are atr breathers.
helps them to swim in any direction. and il
specially enables them to rise rapidly to the
%a1 % q ts war TO sHy
muzzle. and are furnished with valves. which
in which they live Unlike other snakes. they
cast their skins in small pieces. Their eyes are
sSsy nf ss r a s
bite. They feed on small fishes. which they
Paral;yzs Gy mean; q thsiI poison. ana thus
sssdsd e retaining them SIiyo Tor any
fept deys and has e beea fo Sssa
which sea wator percolnted. They inhnbit
ss Is I a !hst ,ThHy are very EoisoHGSs ~
rine. who was bitten by one recently caught at
Madras. proves them q be SO. Lam informed
by Mr. Goliffe that fisherman bitten by q salt
water snake. somewhere near the salt lakes.
experiments. and those Of Mr.. stewart at
Voluntarily. but even when weak and unable to
bite when the Jaws were com pressed on
sni91 death The shssmn
CAREFULLY avoid thom. They swim ike hsh.
md 1--we; WITH ZONE sscsGtb{ons
land by the surf. as they constantly are at
AID shsr a%s. sp1E s
which they pursue and, overtake in the salt
water. There are certain parts OF tho bay OF
Bengal in which they are often seen IN great
Blue Water are agile. graceful. and 6esItifaI"
Sir Joseph speaks OF them as another Kind
does 50 Justly. Tor 70 fact their organization
serpents 1C0iuJridGl. TO which our ooinn mon
snak belongs, and this resemblance 10 espe-
Of as being the only species which ever come
inland,
We have. however. thought It best, for our
present purpose. to keep re sea snakes dis
turs e the tail and still more peculiar habit.
There Is. however. one member Of the multi
less snake. though Its hAbits are similar to
those Of the animals last noticed. This IL, the
Chersydrus-a snake over three and a half
feet long which inhabits the mouths o. Flyers
Guinea. which never leaves the water occurs
far out to sea. and feeds on fish.
But though It.. like our familiar Coluber. the |
ringed snake. is harmless! ! all Coluhers IRE BY
Thus as before said we cannot divide snakes
tpto two natura! Rroups. one poisonous and 4
the other hafml0As. We may nov aAA how |