114 



BRANCH VERTEBRATA. 



FIG. 195. 



Bo' a an a con' da. 



around it, thus crushing its bones and strangling it almost 



instantly. The process of 

 deglutition (deg lu ti'shun) 

 is now begun, the head 

 being first seized by the 

 snake, whose teeth, all 

 pointing backward, and 

 whose jaws successively 

 and alternately pushed 

 forward and drawn back, 

 thus actually pull the 

 snake over the animal. 

 It is an interesting fact, 

 that the female Python 

 7 / (pi'thun), after depositing 

 her eggs, coils herself 

 around them, while the 

 heat of her body increases and the eggs, like those of a 

 hen, are incubated. 



The Coral Snakes, of the more southern states, though 

 generally inoffensive, are nevertheless armed 

 with poison fangs, grooved rather than tu- 

 bular. The East Indian Cobra (ko'bra) has 

 a venomous bite, which is estimated to cause 

 the death of 5,000 people annually. By means 

 of elongated ribs, it expands, when irritated, a broad area 

 on its neck, called the "hood."* 



* A perfectly harmless snake, closely resembling the Cobra in general form, 

 color, and habits, is often used by the so-called snake charmers, who of course 

 handle it with impunity, pretending to throw it into a lethargy and bring it 

 out at will. When the Cobra is used, it is probable that its fangs are first re- 

 moved. " The reptile drawn from its cage, immediately swells its neck, extends 

 its forked tongue, and begins to hiss. The charmer striking up a monotonous 

 song, opposes his clenched fist to his enemy, which fixes its glittering eyes upon 

 jt and follows all its movements, thus keeping up a kind of dance," 



FIG. 10(i. 



cor ai w- 



na. Coral Snake. 



