, 1900-02-16
Ill o SNAKES,

monty have more than 100; some of
the largest pythons and boas have owe
400.
The story about the rattlesnake
charming birds and small animals has
been repeated so often. and with AIch
n%aturaifsts 'concede there is a strong
probability OF it's truth.
The life of the serpent is sometimes
protracted far beyond a period that
would be deemed reasonable. In the
python temples OF Western Africa
there are serpents which are known to
have been there a century and a half
ago.
The serpent is, in Christian art, an
attribute OF st. Cecilia, St. Euphemia
and many other saints, being assigned
to them either because they destroyed
the power OF Satan or because they
cleared one or another country Of rep
tiles.
There is one species of snake, in the
genus Deirodon, which feeds exclusive
ly upon the eggs Of small birds. Its
teeth are very small and are soon lost.
The eggs are swallowed whole, and
when passing through the gullet, are
broken by a device somewhat similar
to the gizZard.
The earliest mention Of the serpent
in the Scripture describes him as more
subtitle than-any beast Of the field" a
reputation which he has not kept up
to the present day, for the serpent has
less brains in proportion to his bulk
than any other creature on the earth.
Among the suggestions offered for
the union of the United States flag
when the first congress IA consider
ing the subject Of a national standard
was a ~rattlesnake. with thirteen rat
ties. and a flag bearing this device, with
the motto. Don't tread on me-" was
actually employed by one Of the states.
The serpent is peculiarly liable,
sandy and dusty localities. to injuries
of the eye, and this organ is therefore
protected by being placed under the
skin or outer epidermis. When a snake
sheds its shin, which it does three or
four times a year. the skin of the eye
comes of with the rest.
The Roman goddess OF health always
bore in her hand a serpent. The SER
pent was the emblem of Aesculapius,
the deity Of physicians, and in Roman.
folklore it is said that during a great
pestilence in Rome he appeared in that
city in the form Of a serpent and stay
ed the plague.
Ancient Greek poets were believed to
have had the spirit OF poesy conferred
upon them by the pythons of Apollo.
When these serpents licked the a
OF any one sleeping in the temple he
became a poet or prophet. or both, and
many Greek mothers took their babes
thither and left them all night, in the
hope of thus rendering them famous.
A well known authority on dreams
A well known authority on dreams
and dream-boeks says: ITO dream
you will be imprisoned and encounter
many dangers II you are In love,
your sweetheart will be faIse. To
dream you kill a snake SHOWS you will
overcome difficulties and enemies, and
be successful in love, trade or farm
ing, but unsuccessful at sea-
The fiery serpents mentioned as hAv-
ing been SEN to bite the Jews during
their wandering in the wilderness are
said by some commentators to have
been so called not from their appear
ance, but because their bite occasioned
high fever and intense Inflammation.
There is a common species of sand vi
per in parts Of Arabia whose biting oc-
casions the same symptoms today.
All poisonous serpents have movable
fangs which are found in the upper
jaw, and, when not in use, close up
like h blade Of a penknife. The fang
is provided with a duct leading to the
poison sac and the virus is elected
through this due by pressure. At the
base Of every poison fang there are
numerous germs Of others, and the
fang broken IT lost is replaced in a
few weeks by the growth Of another.
Tbs char aeterization4 of Dan by his
father Jacob was anything but compli-
mentary. Dan shaii be a serpent by
the way, adder in the path, that biteth
the horse heels, 70 that his rider shall
fall backward" The allusiou - to a
species of adder we'll known in Pales-
tine, Syria, and the east, which was
supposed to hide in the sand and
stealthily to bite the feet and legs OF
horses in order to make them throw
their riders.
The superstition that the glass
snake breaks In pieces at a sudden
alarm and reunttes its various parts
after the dangerois over arises from
the fact that when s~threatenSd with At
tack by a bird or animal this snake
throws of Its tail, which wissles about
on the ground and distYacts the atten-
tion Of the enemy while tho snaloe
makes its escape. This peculiar means
of eluding attack is practiced also by
Two or three kinds Of llisards. Both
make and lizards grow a new tail in
a lew weeks.
One Of the snake stories OF antiqui-