OPHIDIAN TASTE FOR BIRDS' EGGS, 'ji 



is still more so. We can understand that a snake which 

 discovered a broken egg might seem to lap some of the 

 contents, because, as we shall by and by show, the tongue 

 habitually investigates, and is immediately in requisition under 

 all circumstances. But to lap up an egg would be a very 

 slow process for so slender an instrument. One is reminded 

 of the dinner which Sir Reynard invited his friend the 

 Stork to partake with him. 



While still marvelling over these South African egg- 

 suckers, I watched some lizards with a broken egg in their 

 cage. Their tongues were long, thin, blade-like, and bifid, 

 much better adapted for the purpose of lapping than that 

 of a snake, yet stupidly slow and inefficient was this ribbon- 

 like tongue. The lizards threw it out, spatula-fashion, into 

 the midst of the pool of egg which was spreading itself over 

 the floor, and caught whatever of the fluid adhered to it. 

 Had the lizards possessed lips adapted for such a purpose, 

 and, in addition, intelligence enough to 'suck,' they might 

 have drawn some of the cohesive mass into their throats, 

 but they only obeyed their instinctive habit of lapping. 

 Snakes would do the same. Their habit is to moisten the 

 tongue in lapping ; and I fear we must not place too much 

 credence in the exceptional intelligence of that South African 

 egg-sucker, but rather regret the loose account which con- 

 veys so erroneous an impression. I watched those lizards 

 for many minutes, and decided that the egg would be dried 

 up long before it could be consumed by lizard-lapping. 



The tongue of a snake is undoubtedly an important and 

 highly-developed organ. That its sensitiveness assists the 

 smell, we have reason to believe, and possibly it possesses 



