482 Remarks on the Habits of the Snake, 



before, passing over and among the branches in an incessantly 

 progressing movement, for a considerable time. 



The fact related above was evidently accidental, and de- 

 pendant upon the peculiar direction of the animal's head as 

 it moved onward in the act of disengaging itself from the ex- 

 uvice. Under ordinary circumstances the process goes on as 

 follows. The desquamation of the skin begins by a separa- 

 tion taking place around the jaws, that from the upper jaw 

 turning upwards and backwards, whilst that from the lower 

 jaw turns downwards and backwards by its elasticity; and as 

 the animal glides through the surrounding grass, or similar 

 substances, the skin becomes inverted and drawn off from the 

 head downwards, to the very tip of the tail, and the animal 

 escapes, leaving the exuvice turned inside out. The skin di- 

 lates very much on separating from the body, which enables 

 the animal to draw it off with greater ease. 



The movements of this species are highly elegant. Its 

 course among grass or underwood is performed in a zigzag 

 direction ; the head and neck are thrust forward alternately to 

 the right and left, whilst the rest of the body follows precisely 

 in the same course. In its progress the head pushes aside 

 the blades of grass or other yielding bodies, and the remain- 

 der of the body follows without communicating any motion 

 to them : and in this way a snake will often steal across a 

 meadow or through a thicket, unperceived by a person stand- 

 ing at a little distance. Its course is not indicated by any 

 sound, except when passing over dead and dry leaves, or si- 

 milar bodies, of which the friction of one against another will 

 produce a sound : thus silently and unperceived the snake is 

 able to steal upon its unwary prey, or to make its escape from 

 a more powerful assailant. 



I am not aware that a snake is capable of ascending a tree 

 the trunk of which is lofty, and unprovided with branches 

 sufficiently close for the animal to extend its body from one 

 to another, although this part of the tree may be small enough 

 to be encompassed by the folds of the animal. We have ma- 

 ny times tried to induce this species to ascend the trunk of 

 such a tree, but always without success. But when there 

 are a number of branches or twigs sufficiently strong to 

 support the animal's weight, and within the necessary dis- 

 tance, the ascent is effected with considerable rapidity, and 

 the movements of the animal are extremely elegant during its 

 progress. Amongst the smaller branches of a tree the snake 

 moves with the greatest rapidity and elegance, gliding, at one 

 time, from bough to bough, following its general zigzag di- 

 rection, or progressing in an elegant spiral course from the 



