St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-29
ERRORS ABOUT SNAKES.
No Faith in Piiny's Ancient
Stories.

ERRORS ABOUT SNAKES.
No Faith in Piiny's Ancient
Stories.
New York Times.
The present age has adopted MANY of
4 Pllny's wonderful-stories which survive
In popular sdperstitions regarding nu-
merous occurrences in the history of
plants and animals. That this story Is
b fable seemed to be beyond question.
No self-luminous stone is known except
Che diamond, and this, while it has the
ability to absorb light to some extent
and under seme circumstances, as when
| 1t has been exposed to the bright sun
| 4ight for time and Is then carried into
the dark, could scarcely be made of
common use by snakes.
Moreover, there is no reason why the
cobra or any other snake should carry
such stone II 1t did exist, for the pur-
pose alleged, as this snake does not feed
upon flies. but is carnivorOus animal,
net in the habit of spending its time in
the pursuit of small game. Again, the
snake has no power in its venom or any.
other way OF giving any phosphorescent
quality to stone. SO that in the light
of our present scientific knowledge this
ity of others in this so-cailed natural
history, to be mere popular error of
that time when there was little accurate
knowledge and very great amount of
fanclful superstition among not only
the common people, but also among the
educated.
Pliny tells us that much of his work
was done in the hours stolen from sleep,
and investigations regarding snakes
may we'll be supposed to lead to dreams
and Nightmares during the sleep of any
person whose thought had been con-
ceatrated upon this subject at a time
when WEAKNESS may have produced a
condition of dreaminess, which precedes
a disturbed kind of sleep in which the
most amazing thirS )ccur. So that
this story may be discarded as wholly
fanciful and baSeleSS.
Another popular error is the alleged
ability of snakes to jump or throw them
selves a considerable he'-ht from the
ground. This is very common belief,
but one that is undoubtedly 1aseleSs. 1t
is not easy to prove negative by any,
thing but mathematics, but when the
actual construction of a snake is known
aud considered, it is very plain to any
intelligent person that it is impossible
for a snake to project any part of its
body from the ground. The ability of a
snake to make such a movement as is
alleged OF 1t depends upon the impulse
first, and, second, the momentum pro-
duced by this impulse, which, of course.
must bear all exact relation to the
weight of the body projected.
1t is impossible for lhe energy given
by the muscular force of the snake, and
by which ii third of the body is thrown
forward, to Garry with it the other two
thirds of the body, much less to project
the whole snake several feet into the
air. Ii this were possible, then we
might believe what is universally known
to be imposs ble-that the dogs tail
could and can and does actually wag
the dOg. This is so we'll known to be
Impossible as to have passed into a
popular byword.
! Another common belief regarding
snakes is that they can spit or project
their venom a considerable distance,
and thus poison any person whose eyes
may be too lntently riveted upon the
animal. The poison fang-nIark the
singular term. for thereby hangs a tale
is followed by a channel in the hinder
part of il. The edges of this channel
are curved and meet SO clUsely as TO
form sort of tube; the fang bends
backward, and until erected =. by the
muscles which move it, lies back against
the palate. When theiSnake is enraged
| the fang is erected, and then lies in this
manner. -
! At the base of the fang is the gland
which Secretes the poison. The gland
Is i'll ciUsc contact with the GaXillary
bone, to which the fang is united by
| anchyloSed tissue. The bone itself is
movable and may be rotated in its
transverse axis by muscles. ThuS,in the
hf ~ htn-s it's
fang. and the OF striking, bringing
pressure to pear~upon tie gland, eau Ses
| HE ytuid poison To be forced into the
tube and thus elected into the wound.
Doubtless the Jatpmpt to escape from
its enemy causes the victim 10 force the
! fang from It's erecliie position in 4 for
! ward direction. and thus Increase the
pressure on The gland and ACID TO the
quantity OF porSUn Injected. So
here Is a shake belonging to small
family, causldB. inllabiting Africa, that
is said 10 have tne power of ejecting its
venom To Il short distance. InIs snake
is called by the Dutch Beers SPUN
sIang." or spit snake. When this shake
efectSItS teeth the pressure at tile max
iilary bone of the gland causes the
venom 10 flow in drops. and IL may be
quite possible that by diSenarglng air
from lis mouth the poison may be blown
some distance. But this information
and observation OF these Dutcnmen
HAY be taken cum grano sails, or we
might fall into the same errors as the
ancient Munchausen, Pliny the elder.
The anatomy vi a Shake is peculiar,
and has much 10 do VITA its peculiar
motion. The ribs are loosely artlculated
with the veriebrse and are movable. BY
bending the DUuy in lateral curves,
which is the only mode of motion, aud
not the vertical bending. as many think,
the scales. which are attached ~ the ends
of the ribs. are separated, and by their
free edges take hold upon the ground :.
When The body is Enlightened out The
ends Of the ribs approach each other
and so force tie body forward. til ell by
the bending of the other side this move
ment is repeated, and SO the snake
glides along. The same movement of
the rlEs and scales forces the animal
through the wafer, as il sw ms with the
lead above the wafer and with Its body
slightly subm eIgtd.
- i he tor nation OF shakes jaw is also
! peculiar ard thus enables it 10 swallow
bCdits much larger than tself, or than
il sttMs TO lie. A small snake. found in
! Africa, where this Title of animals
aLCunds, is known as tie eggeater, and
! Ole OF them less than twenty inches
] long and only half all inch in apparent
! diameter. can easily take into his stOm-
/ ach a hens egg. 1 his is ione by the
! formation OT the head and ,aSnpcialiv n