68 



SNAKES. 



and not until it has reached the gullet, and the closed 

 mouth prevents the escape of any of the nutritious matter, 

 is it exposed to the instruments adapted to its perforation. 

 These instruments consist of the inferior spinous processes/ 

 etc., already described. * They may be readily seen even 

 in very small subjects, in the interior of that tube in which 

 their points are directed backwards. The shell being sawed 

 open longitudinally by these vertebral teeth, the Qgg is 

 crushed by the contractions of the gullet, and is carried to 

 the stomach, where the shell is no doubt soon dissolved by 

 the acid gastric juice.' 



Portion of spine of the Gular teeth penetrating 



Deirodon, from Andrew Smith's into the gullet, ib. 

 Zoology 0/ South Africa. 



Portion of spine from a 

 skeleton at the museum of 

 the R. C. S., natural size. 



The two from Smith's Zoology must be much magnified ; 

 the third, from the skeleton, being the true size, excepting 

 that the ribs are broken short off, some entirely so. The 

 minute processes extend two or more inches. 



As the learned professor has described the Deirodon (neck- 

 toothed) both under the head of teeth, and also of verte- 

 brated animals, the two accounts are blended, but given 

 verbatim as far as possible. 



