402 THE TRANSITION TO LAND 



as possible antivenin should be injected. This could formerly be done 

 only after reaching a hospital or doctor's office. Today there is a snake 

 kit which contains a powdered form which consists of a mixture of the 

 antivenins for the chief kinds of pit vipers in the United States. This 

 powder can be dissolved in distilled water and injected immediately in 

 the field. Unlike the liquid preparations, this powder does not need to 

 be refrigerated. Even though the patient appears to be getting along 

 very well he should be taken to a physician as soon as possible. Blood 

 transfusions may be necessary because of the destruction of the blood 

 by the poison. 



"Snake charmers can charm snakes." There is a common belief that 

 some persons have some special gift by means of which they can charm 

 snakes and handle dangerous specimens without danger to themselves. 

 In some cases they use music supposedly to effect the charm. There 

 can be no charming of snakes, although it is possible for persons to study 

 the habits of snakes and do things with them that seem very dangerous 

 to a person who thinks of all snakes as vicious aggressive creatures. 

 The snake charmer of the circus side show usually handles only harmless 

 snakes that any person in the audience could handle just as safely. 



"If you pull a snake's fangs out it will be harmless." This is another 

 one of those vicious superstitions, for a person can lose his life if he 

 depends on its veracity. The snakes with the long curved fangs have a 

 succession of them under the mucous membranes ready to descend into 

 place if one of the functional fangs is lost. Sometimes their fangs 

 break off in nature, but they are replaced within a few days. 



Classification and Derivation of Scientific Words 



Phylum Chordata (Cont.) 



Class D. Amphibia (Gr. am phi, double; bios, life; lead a double life, 

 are both water and land animals). 

 Order 1. Apoda (Gr. a, without; pons, foot; have no feet). 



Tropical, burrowing, worm-like amphibians. 

 Order 2. Caudata (L. cauda, tail; tailed amphibians). Newts 



and salamanders. 

 Order 3. Salientia (L. salio, leap; leaping amphibians). Frogs 

 and toads. 

 Class E. Reptilia (L. reptilis, creeping). 



Order 1. Testudinata (L. testndo, turtle). Turtles and tortoises. 

 Order 2. Crocodilia (L. crocodilus, crocodile). Crocodiles and 



alligators. 

 Order 3. Squamata (L. squama, scale). Lizards and snakes. 



