Norton] THE COPPERHEAD SNAKE 267 



sires there is no necessity in closing the jaws, to contract these 

 muscles sufficiently to force venom from the glands. The fangs 

 are covered with a sheath of thin and white, membranous flesh 

 which is never withdrawn except during the act of biting." Mr. 

 Ditmars illustrated by showing a pit viper's skull. 



"The fangs are shed at intervals of about three months," he 

 went on, "and by a neat provision of Nature the new fang grows 

 into place beside the one about to be shed and becomes connected 

 with the poison gland before the old fang becomes loosened. The 



Photo from the Reptile Book, 

 Courtesy of Doubleday Page & Co. 



Skull of Harmless Snake 



The fangs are absent, the teeth too small to produce a dangerous wound. The teeth are 

 so shaped that the engulfing process is rendered possible when prey, large in comparison to 

 to the snake, is captured. Things will "go down" much easier than they will "come up." 



old fang is shed by being left imbedded in the body of the prey that 

 is bitten by the snake and is consequently swallowed with the prey. 

 So hard is its composition that, although the bones, claws and even 

 the teeth of the engulfed animal are entirely dissolved, the swal- 

 lowed fang is unaffected by the action of the gastric juices." 



The skull showed plainly several sets of auxiliary fangs behind 

 the acting pair. This constant renewing of fangs proves that by 

 removing the fangs a poisonous snake is not rendered harmless. 



"In the act of striking, the jaws are opened and the fangs ele- 

 vated to such an extent that their tips point almost directlv for- 



