The Reptiles 



wings, it travels on land and on water without noise or warn- 

 ing. It climbs a smooth barked tree or pole, thus apparently 

 defying the force of gravitation. Its movements are grace- 

 ful and weird and its strikes its foe with the speed of an 

 arrow, winds its body about its prey and crushes the breath 

 of life from its victim. Many of this family have developed 

 poison fangs which all other animal life have learned to 

 shun. Because of the hinged and movable joints of its jaw 

 bones, it is enabled to swallow a victim three times the size 

 of its own neck. It sheds its skin and comes forth renewed 

 and rejuvenated. The glow and piercing of its eye has the 

 power of producing a paralyzing charm in its intended vic- 

 tim. Because of these mysterious qualities, the highest forms 

 to which animal life has attained — that of man in a savage 

 state, have worshipped the snake as possessing powers of 

 divinity. There is no mythology or ancient sculpture in 

 which the serpent does not bear a part. In the early ages 

 of man, serpent worship or Ophiolatry was universal. The 

 greatest prehistoric monuments of the savage races were 

 dedicated to the snake — the "stranger in the grass." Not 

 only do we find proof of its effect upon the minds of the early 

 primitive savage races in the form of serpent mounds made 

 mostly of earth but we find the same evidence in the lowest 

 strata of civilization in Egypt, Assyria, India and many of 

 the other ancient nations from which our civilization has 

 sprung. 



In "Rivers of Life; or Sources and Streams of the Faith 

 of Men in all Lands" published in London, 1874, by Profes- 

 sor J. E. R. Forlong, and also in Bryant's "Ancient Mythol- 

 ogy," published in London, 1807, may be found what is per- 



[205] 



