The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-18
SCIENCE AND SERPENTS.
LATEST ADDITIONS TO ENOWLEDGE
or TIE SNAKE 7RIBES.
The Two Principal Groups Of venomous
Reptiles-Differen Ways OF the Viper
ana the Elapine Families In Making the
Deadly S~troke-The Pawer to Charm.

1T may he stated as a general rule, said Prof.
Leouhard Styneger, Ut The Smithsonian insu-
tuition, that our poisonous snakes are decTeas-
ing rapidly in numbers, and that consequently
the danger from their bites is constantly dimin-
ishing. In many localities where rlttlesnakes
were formerly numerous they have now become
entirely exterminnied, while in Others tley are
extremely rare The causes that bare led to this
are various, but the commonest cause ~ up
doubleday Embarrassing cultivation Of the country,
In other places the decrease In the number ~
the snakes can he traced directly TO It's being
killed oil by the hog, an animal certainly not
proof against the venom If il enters its cirCu.
lauon, but usually well protected by its fat, which
is, in most cases, sufficiently tlick To- prevent
the innrS Of the serpent from penetrating TN"
underlying tissues ON tEe other hand, ter"
are localities IN Which CERTAIN species 4 lolSon
oGS snakes hav" actually increased
1t is occasionally suggested HAT u premium
per head, of rattle, bc pad rs the Government
Tor the rNl ernluatun OF the danrcruu, snakes.
but i, has been shown that there are but few 10
calIues ia The United States IN which the really
dangerous slstles IRE numerous en,dgh L. render
even an oApnmrnt with bounty desirable. 1t
has been irled aud IL Sull In vogue IN India, where
large sums are paid annually to SNAKE destroy
ere, but without sciSlbiN diminishing the fear
iul mortalIiy resulting iINm shake b.ts IA t.ut
country Even IN tie AltIc island IT AGIunlQU"
II appears I" nave lad liIle effect IN de, t'y.r' =
the nuntHr 1t the deadly Ter Ge lance, probably
the most dangeruu- ui all %srtprNiN, WIN" u az
duuDlrdIN led "a al IhCreHs" ~ tie death fil
of thc pnpulauun The InhaMtauts 81 Astti
llque have ind yariuus nrane oi rlGlnp them
SolNt, ~ the presence Of The dcudIy reptile lUry
tined the h0E, 50 rcdpubtaUlr IA the case q thr
ra,ueshhke, with The result OF greet mortHity
an.ung The AogS Their last experiment wa,
We imp riau"h Of a number Fl tnIl !llIr :"frtl
like animal rom tie East Indies, called tnr mun
goose, which successfully combat, the G"adly
cobra, hui, asa traveller Observe, u" uttlCo
Of toe cobra ~ o. thlng, and lhat If the ter De
lance which wales no Tune iunllrg about On
end, bnt let, cut AT once qua, al. tier, and SO
the mongoosr has taken no active steps toward
thu, determination OF The fer DE- lance.
\ description Of The general characteristics
OF tins terIcnt may be- taken a. iypioNI ui tine
entire viper family, III which are included all
N.Y. Nnlencdh .;a"r,, except Tie c"tals
Inc iaug> OF thA SlpaTS arr attached to the fore
end OF What may b" termed The luwbone ~ may
Hilary, in the hollow Of which Ii cuntainrd TN
poison sac, The contents Of which are emitted
through a hollow ~ groove III the iHngS. W
night angles 10 the maNillarS, ana attached 10
the plates by means Of Ger tain muscles, Is n
marrow bone called the transpaiatin" The fHugS
lie normally fiat, hack against lhp palate, but
when the snake strikes n contraction oi III, mus
Cles Of the transpalatiue pushes the latter against
the maNnlarv, which, bring moy able, rryolyrs
through about n quarter of a circle. carving
tlr ihlgs with II until they ar, erected p'Tpru
dicularly 70 The roof Of the mouth. II has lry y
recently shown that the erection Of the iHrG~
IL not n necessary consequence Of the opening
OF tho mouth, although most authorities who
have hitherto Wrilten upon the subject have 20
stated In the case Of tn fer de lance, tie rep
tile lies ia coil, using its tail a. a pint 4 appni,
aud with the ion part II its body h NJ hack upon
Itself in several coils, thus resembling the rattlr-
snaie. Suddenly II shoots forward its head
with the rapiilty Of liEhtning, throwing open its
jaw AT an angle of $50 degrees, aud thus it i
seen that the iangS, which are erected I'LL they
are ~ right angles 10 the Jaw, must point straight
at the beet Of attack, and tina, If TINS obyco,
hes anyN here in the line betNrr the
mrnt aud completion of the thrust, II Is bound 10
be struck fairly by the points, especially A. the
venom injecting snap Is not made until the victim
is struck or the thrust completed.
The urly American snake which belongs to
the elapinn family, the other great group Of poison
GUS %serpen,s, Is tn" coral, a d'uilen Of tMc Guif
States. one " the main Distinctions hetHrr
TINS group and the viperS lies in The fact that tie
maSillay IL practically imnovAblr, and the
fnnEs IN consequence permanently erect, SO that
the snake strikes In a more or less pronounced
curve, and snaps at the object II attack. Unless
this snap is made precisely at The RICH, moment.
the points of the fanes will not meet, aud no
Jaws is necessary for the injection Of the venom
with both the yiprrs and %elapincs, and 50 forcibly
Is The act sometimes performed that the snakes
inng hRS been found broken of In the wound,
in H." reptiles attempt IN %rNtricate its Jaws from
the flesh
The ]elapine's mode Of attack is less direct than
lI1l VI wv NlIFl = t'Vl l'Il''lIN III n HIFdl measure
upon tn reptile airl, which Is not %LlwHvs ne
Curate. II was probably the "vtrrT' clumsiness
Of the coral snake in striking is intended prey
that led until very recently 10 the belief that II
was perfectly harmless II was ouiy after /,
remarkably successful achievement in his line
in which III" snakes victim died within IN hour,
that the coral snake came under close scientific
scrutiny, and IL WAS found that lis poison IL ilruti-
gal with that of The Indian cobra Thi, poison
l. III" main constituent OF the venom uf all lha
%elapiueS, always MIXED, however, with u certain
Amnllnt OF rntBrDlS venom Iha n lknn It thn
viper- II mainly composed Of q CutOrOus venom,
with more or lass almiytura II the cobra con
s,''tIent IN" cobra ana Ialtlssnake are selected
rs typical specimens Of the elapins and the viper
families m regarl 10 their poison, a. the cobra
contains least AdmiNture Of the viper Or cotorons
venom, and vice versa. The effect Of these two
pnisons Is distinctly different, the cobra venom
affecting the entire system. reaching the neryoIS
or motor centres with extern ~rapidity, aud leav.
ing only Il slight scar mark 10 the wound. while
the viper poison acts chiefly by causing mortifca.
ton Of the part iitten, which may spread with
more OF less rapiiity over the entire body, or may
only result In a local affection.
Snake venom, IN It's most vimlent form, is
only modified saliva, doubtless converted by
nature into a specific poison as much for The
purpose Of enabling The animal 10 procure food
as for q Weapon Of defence The tact that the
blood Of the reptile Is imrrcguHtnd with on anti
dotc which enables It 10 safely devour lis poisoned
prey seems to render this srlpposltion probable.
Another remarkable gift which nature seems
10 have bestowed upon certain varieties Of snakes
is the power Of fascinating " mesneri2ing their
victims Althonch This may apNnr y rather
fanriful idea, some very distinguished scien-
lists Il the present day are inclined Ia GdnIi, that
there is some Truth IN 1t, and there are eases upon
record which can scarcely I've explained IN my
other way
y remarkable feature 81 the greater part Of
Poisonous snakes in this country BY means Of
which they arr readily distinguished from
th' non poisonous varieties. IN a deep
pit or hole, found in the rattleSnHkps and their
nearest relations. on IN" side Of the face. between
the nostril and eye. This feature has l"d 10 'he
uhclassiilcaton Il the rattlssnakrS, noccHSinN,
copp-rhsads, &c, into PIT vlpcyS' The pit"
OF cavity, sinks deep into the moNillGry bone,
And represents q blind" sac lined with ruI!ermis.
which, not bong connected with any Of he other
cavities or organs in the head by any inside open
ing or canal, forms another interesting puzzle
Tor scientists
When tie earlier biologists came to examine
tins peculiar structure they, " course. ,red To
identify Il with Other Organs already known,
some hiniinc a, the closed nustrls o! tho fishes
while others pointed out IT. similarity, IN position
urged, also, that u might have some connection
with thu poison apparatus Il wH> plain, bow
ever, even 70 those Proposing these explanations,
that they were not the true solution 81 the lueS
tion. and So mos, authors have t'"n satisfied
with q difference To- the pits rs mysterious
The existence 81 \ 'SlNih sense however. has
lately been satisfactorily proved ~ some animals,
as the lateral line IN fishes, and while, in the Casc
Of the put yip'r, the purlIS' ~ such an organ hAS
not been determined It Is now he general opinion
among scientists that the pit ~ cavity lndi'atas
ITS presence, ~ m nature there ~ nothing IN vain
ono Of n" most dangerous 81 these pit viIPrS
is the water m0cCaSin, Of which II has been SAID
that " i one IT those Crea lures, naturally u o
tayag' disposition that becnm" tame and even
amIabl" IN captivity That Il ~ naturally Savag'
may 10 Sa'h're! from the fact that "a sI-cimpu
recently captured and confined strikes AZ every
thing that ~ mt INFO lt~ CAgp. SuInPtlClr. even.