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

!, The last snake We shall notice Is that csils.
tho The Ha "a 't Or: from tho nature q TIE
largest aud most formidablo vonomous snake
kn0wn-unless the Bushmaster (L,achesisl Of
Very very powerful. active. and aggressive. and
may attain u length Of fourteen feet. Mr.
habits It is still more dangerous than the lie
COBRA, though fortunately 1t 10 less common.
e All rS@ e:
Philippines 1t expands its hood in the same
| II is found in forests as well as in grass. for
resting on tho branches Of trees. doubtless in
vorite, food although it will cut other reptiles
rs well MS small beasts and birds It is some-
zoogca Gardens ' wo"ld when a%% abeut to Be
fed. raise. itself and seize snake after snake
| to be dropped down to it.
chemical principle has as yet been detected In
1T though t such there must be- seeing that the
snakes is dircrcnt- the blood coag ulating after
fatal cobra bite: though not alter that OF q
ehs bend Of mas
be injected inton healthy one the latter will
btsn n its as had Ss ts sf
| with IMMUNITY. 1t is a mistake. however: to
snpnose that snakes POISON can have no effect
cate skin as that which lines our lips. though
the condition Of tho snake and partly on that
eIectual antidote has yet been discovered.
AT, nor a. ann md nesmnnEanate Of potassium
the snakes venom il it be mixed therewith.
Is the best course. rs tho delay Of few sec
onds my to hr into ne ne
Gten anmot "G be
very tight li;aturo applied after cautoriza-
od t nna ns lar" IS @ s 10 sn
orally recommended For details on this most
important subject the reader Is referred to Sir
Joseph FnyTers Invaluable work. We will.
however. quote the following passage:
% patient 1 be quiet DO as.e 81 m
MAKE ,hsIr appesrsmce s,"e .asis or liquor am.
hot ] and e r.. s'%
ia s # he sa ss apy nI a an s
s, t0 ns or sys s the
M En""ur"se a cheer te N. s
ans NAV e ss q" RE sr nd a na
poutces to remove rogs; collection OF matter must
III We .on
The distribution OF scrpcnts over the earth's
| surface Is partial and unequal. They arc ees
senta Inhabitants " the tropics. and diminish
dividua g. MS we advance northwurd or south
ward through IN" trnpernt" Zones. Great
sHs' fMTa M s"ss a md
harlequin snakes nro entirely confined to
America: while vlpors. rohrhS ana rouxntal!e
are as exclusively inhahittnis 81 tn" Old
World Tho tree snakes and tho VII snakes
arc Eastern and Australian mi mnls. Each
quarter Of thu gnnr. except Australia. has q
great Ireponhe.nn"e 1T harmless over Nen-
omouS snakes. There. tn. great majority be-
long 70 tho poisonous sections OF the Coiu'
With respect to past time. we may add a few
remarks " those mnde in IN" open.ns part OF
this article hriore ronciu'iin. It. Our typo mt
starting. our familiar harmless pet. the r0m-
non snake. sppears to have lnit is remains IN
the Middle Miocrnn deposits In France. IN the
upper Eocene OF HAMPSHIRE ana deposits OF
corresponding date in central France. remains
OIL snake manned Fri"gr, have been found.
which + regarded as near ally Of TIE exist;
North America bones OF a creature have been
found for which the name Bgdr"s has been
proposed as sign OF its probable affinity to
the American boas u to-day, 1t has been sug.
Miocone times: while somewhat later huge
viper. like those now Nv ing In the hottest parts
ofhfrica. had Its home In switzerland.
81, Those fossil ssrpe; I t. witch we first re-
Eocene period; ranged also. as might be ex-
their range was. in f,lct. much more extended:
as a specimen which must have been thirty
feet IN length. has been found in the Eocene Of
slowed on which is PaigopLis. are regarded by
Sir Richard Owen as having probably been
marine animals allied to the family OF sea
snakes lHyd0DhtdGl which we have described.
Il =; 80: they were probably poisonous and, thus
oped members OF the ophldlan order extended
far and wide over this planet In ages long
before that to which tho most specnIatiye o4 !,
geoogists would assign as the period during !
which man hrst appeared In creation. even II /,
We had not srounds to regard them as having =,