SNAKES 99 



in the Proteroglyphs, their bite in many cases being merely- 

 sufficient to paralyse the small animals upon which they 

 prey. 



The poison fangs, like all the other teeth, are shed and 

 replaced at short intervals, and, therefore, in the case of 

 specimens kept in confinement, little is gained in their 

 removal. The construction of the fang differs con- 

 siderably, the groove being in some cases clearly visible 

 externally, the edges not being united, while in others it 

 is entirely obliterated, such fangs being improperly termed 

 hollow. Their size is no criterion as to the venomous 

 nature of the snake, for in some in which the poison is 

 most active they are of quite small size, while the reverse 

 is the case in others. A careful inspection of the teeth is 

 the only way of ascertaining whether a snake is poisonous 

 or not, for from their external appearances the venomous 

 species cannot always be distinguished from the harmless, 

 except by the expert, and, although a number of Viperine 

 snakes have large and flat triangular heads, some of the 

 most deadly Colubrines and even Viperines have them 

 small and narrow. Many of the harmless kinds, by their 

 Viperine and sinister appearance, are often regarded as 

 highly dangerous. 



The destruction of human life by snake bite is perfectly 

 astounding, upwards of 100,000 deaths being annually 

 attributed to this cause, India and Brazil alone each 

 accounting for upwards of 20,000 every year. 



When a person is bitten by a venomous snake the poison 

 enters the circulation through the blood vessels, and the 

 effects vary according to the creature's poisonous proper- 

 ties and to the rapidity with which the poison enters the 



