13 



Cutting a snake open, from the head down to The internal 

 the ana], one first notices, in the snake's mouth, '^^^"^* 

 two tubular sheaths, the foremost containing 

 the tongue, and the one behind being the ter- 

 mination of the windpipe. The flexibiUty of the 

 windpipe is demonstrated when a snake is swallow- 

 ing anything at all large. 



When the animal or bird being devoured is Protrusion 

 about half way into the snake's mouth, the snake windpipe, 

 will project its windpipe beyond the lower lip, in 

 much the same manner as a tongue is protruded, 

 where it opens and closes, taking in air — in this 

 way a snake avoids suffocation, when both the 

 mouth and the interior orifices of the nasal passage 

 are blocked by the food. A ten-foot python can 

 protrude its windpipe a good half-inch beyond the 

 lower lip. 



About quarter of the way down the body are 

 Lungs, or rather lung, as only the left one is 

 properly developed. It is formed of a network of 

 air cells, and only the anterior portion is used for 

 breathing, the posterior being an air reservoir. 

 The Hydrophiinse (Sea-snakes) naturally have 

 very well developed lungs. The Heart is in front 

 of the anterior portion of the lungs, while at the 

 posterior end comes the Liver, a large elongate 

 organ, which extends down to behind the stomach. 

 At the lower end of the stomach, where digestion Digestion, 

 principally takes place, come the Gall-bladder and 

 Pancreas. Below these latter are large masses of 

 fat, which form a reserve supply of nourishment 

 for the snake when it is fasting. The stomach 

 cannot of course contain the large amount of food 

 swallowed, but as digestion takes place, the lower 

 portion of the animal swallowed passes into the 

 Intestines (situated below the Pancreas), and the 

 remainder of the food passes from the gullet into 

 the stomach. The fat surrounding the stomach 



