THE TONGUE OF A SNAKE. 95 



kind. Probably it was anticipating the frog in store for it, 

 as this was feeding day. Its tongue was unusually active, 

 and was exserted to its extreme length, its motions being 

 almost invisible in their rapidity. 



Two gentlemen drew near, and also stopped before this 

 cage. One of them, a tall, dark man, looked like a foreigner ; 

 but he was talking pure English to his friend, and had been 

 talking a good deal about the snakes, as if he were familiar 

 with their habits. * From the Tropics,' observed my com- 

 panion, sotto voce, and looking as if we might hear something 

 worth knowing from this large, loud-voiced visitor. 



* See that ? ' he presently exclaimed to his friend. * Look 

 there ! ' 



' That thing it keeps putting out of its mouth } ' 



'Yes. That's its sting. One touch of that, just one little 

 touch, and you're a dead man. There's no cure for it ! ' 



No less than four different parties made similar remarks 

 in our hearing during our short visit to the reptile house 

 that day, and these not of the common crowd either. 



First, two lads who looked as if they ought to have known 

 better. Next, a party of several persons, of whom the one 

 more particularly addressed when his friend informed him, 

 'That's the sting that it jerks out so,' replied, 'Ah, but 

 they extract it ! ' Thirdly, a young gentleman remarked to 

 his lady companion, * See how it keeps darting out its sting ! ' 

 to whom she ejaculated, ' Oh, the fearful creature ! ' Fourthly, 

 the tall man. And all this of poor little innocent Tropi- 

 donotus (our common ring snake), with not even a fang to 

 injure you ! 



Like many other of the zoological myths not yet extinct, 



