The times., 1901-05-12
VIPER GROUPS OF AMERICA
C0pperheads and Moccasins Among
the Most Dangerous.

| Specimen Recently Caught Few
Miles From the CapftaI-AU of the
Various Families of Crawling Rep
| tiles Possess CannibaI Instincts.
A unique specimen of a copperhead
! snake caught a few miles from Wash
| ington, has been received al the National
| Museum. The differences noticeable in the
| snake from others of it's species consist
in the peculiar colors and markings al
though as Prof Leonhard Styneger, Of
the Smithsonian Institution, says the
| cOlors of the copperhead are known to
vary according to its age and the locality
which it inhabts.
The copperhead is the only member Of
| the pit viper family of serpents which is
found in localities adjacent to this city.
To this group belong nearly all the pois-
onous snakes of this country The term
pit viper" originates from the pit. or cav
| ity, found just above the mouth in these
snakes This pit sinks deep into the maxil-
| larry bone, and represents a blind" sac
| lined with epidermis, which, not being con-
| nected with any of the other cavities or
organs in the head by any inside opening
| or canal, forms a puzzle to scientists.
| When the earlier biologists came to eX-
| anime this peculiar structure they tried
| to identify it with other organs already
known, some limiting at the closed nostrils
| of fishes, while others pointed out its sim
| ilarity, in position, at least TO the tear
! sacs' of the deer. 1t was urged also that
| it might have some connection with the
| poison apparatus. None of the explana-
! tions has been accepted as satisfactory,
however, and so scientists have still to be
! content with referring to the pits as ''mys-
| 10 q
practical, however. of distinguishing the
! poisonous from the non-poisonous varie-
! ties of serpents
When questioned concerning his opinion
of the reason for the pit, Prof. Styneger
replied: 1T possibly may indicate the pos
session by these snakes of a sixth sense.
| The existence of such a supplementary in
| telligence has been proved, you know, in
some animals, as the lateral line in fishes,
for instance. and while, in the case of the
pit viper, the purpose of such an organ
| has not been determined, it is now the
general opinion that the pit indicates its
presence"
To the pit vipers belong the rattle
snake, moccasins, copperheads, etc. One
of the most dangerous is the water moe
casin of which there are some notable
specimens at the Zoo This snake feeds
on fishes, and it is quite a spectacle to
watch it at its meals. In the case of the
( water moccasns at the Zoo is a large
! basin of water, in which there are a num-
Der of minnows. When the reptile is
! hungry it goes for these unfortunate
| little creatures in a way that positively
makes one dizzy to contemplate. 1t seems
to dart in all directions at once and either
bolts" the fish or dashes them outside
the basin, where they soon die on the
sandy floor. 1t takes the snake about
thirty seconds to dispose, in this way, of
as many fish. 1t is said that the water
moccasin is one of those creatures which
become tame, and even 9miabe, in cap
tivity. but the keeper at the Zoo affirnns
that he is not deSirous of testing the
friendliness of it's disposition by any over
lures on his part An attempt was made
a short time ago to place IT in favor
able position for taking its photograph,
on which occasion the reptile struck at
the keepers rod again and again. and
it was found necessary to desist from
further efforts for fear the snake would
iniure its mouth in its fury.
The water moccasn, which is a den1Zen
of the Southeastern States must not be
confounded with the true moccasin, an
innocuous snake, which it somewhat re-
sembes, and whose only bad trait is
propensity TO devour its mate, should both
happen to be imprisoned together in the
same cage. 1t IS well known, however
that all serpents are cannibais, and two
have been known. while devouring the
same piece OF food. to encounter each
when the larger proceeded to make
dessert of the smaller.
1t is occasionally suggested that prem
ium per head or rattle be paid by the
Government for the determination of the
dangerous snakes, but 1t has been shown
that there are but few localities in this
country in which the really dangerous
snakes are numerous enough to render
even an experiment with bounty deSira-
BILE. 1t has been tried and is still in vogue
in India, where large sums are paid an
4. Narut
sensibly diminishing the fearful mortality
resulting from snake bites IN that coun-
try Even in the little island of Mar
Unique it appears to have had little ef-
feet in decreasing the number of the dead
~ "fer-de-lance" probably the most dan
gerous Of all serpents, while it undoubt-
edly has led to an Increase in the death
roll Of the population. The Inhabitants OF
Martinique have tried various means of
ridding themselves of the presence OF this
dreadful reptile. They tried the hog, 50
effectual in the case of the rattlesnake,
with the result of great mortality among
the hogs. Their last experiment was the
importation of q number of that little
ferret-iike animal from the East Indies.
called the Tnongoose The mongOGSe sue
cessfully combats the deadly cobra, but,
q IS a traveller observed, the attack of
cobra is one thing, and that of the fer-de-
lance-which wastes no time IN foollng
about on end. but let's out at once-quite
another" and the mOngoose has taken
no active steps toward the determination
Z
All the American snakes with the excep-
tiGn of the coral. belong to the sO-called
! wiper" group, as distinguished from the
"elapines" the other great family of
serpents in which are included all the
Asiatic varieties. The fangs of the vipers
are attached to the fore-end of what may
be termed the jawbone, or maXillary, in
the hollow of which is contained the
poison sac, the contents of which are
emitted through a hollow or groove in
the fangs. At right angles with the jaw
bone, and attached to the palate by means
of certain muscles, is narrow bone
called the transpalatine. Normally. the
faugs lie fat back against the palate,
but when the snakes prepares to strike,
contraction of the muscles Of the trans
palatinc pushes the latter against the
maxillary, which, being movable, re-
wolves through about a quarter OF cir
Gle carrying the fangs with it, until they
are erected perpendicularly 10 the roof
of the mouth The swapping OF the Jaws
is necessary for the injection of the ven
ON, and so violently is the act sometimes
performed that the snakes fang has been
found broken off i'm the wound in the
reptiles attempt to eXtricate its jaws from
the GcSh.
PUZZLED THE LIBRARIAN.