AUDUBON JOURNAL 



Anxious to give it such a Position as I thought would 

 render it most interesting to NaturaHst, I put it in 

 that which that Reptile generally takes when on point 

 to Inflict a Most severe wound — I have examined the 

 Fangs of Many before and their position along the 

 Superior Jaw Bones, but had never seen one Shewing 

 the Whole exposed at the same time having before 

 this thought that the probabihty was that those Laying 

 Inclosed below the Upper one in Most Specimen Were 

 to Replace these upper ones Which I thought [also] 

 might drop periodically as the Animal Changes its 

 Skin and Rattles — however on Dissection of these from 

 the Ligament by Which they are fixed to the Jaw 

 bones I found them Strongly and I think [with a] 

 permanently [tendency to be] attached & as follows — 

 Two Superior Next the upper Like (I speak of one 

 side of the Jaw only) connected Well together at the 

 bases & running parrallel their Whole Length. They 

 had appartures on the upper & Lower side of their 

 bases to receive the Venom connectivly and the dis- 

 charging one a short distance from the Sharp points on 

 the inner part of the fangs — the Two next Fangs about 

 one quarter of an Inch below connected and running 

 in the same Manner, but with only one base apper- 

 ture on the Lower Side of each and the one at the 

 point that issues the venom to the Wound — the 5"^ 

 rather smaller is also about a quarter of an Inch below, 

 Lonely appertures as in the Secondarius the scales of 



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