THE TONGUE OE A SNAKE. 105 



with our soft and tender tongues. Though so tall, and 

 powerful, and terrible to us, they look dreadfully frightened 

 whenever we use our tongues in our own service. There- 

 fore, whenever any of these two-legged creatures come near 

 us, we will put out our tongues at them, and frighten them 

 off/ — a resolution which has answered admirably well down 

 to the present time. ' Down to the present time ' is written 

 and repeated in all seriousness. 



Let me be pardoned for introducing a little more gossip 

 here, as it is the fashion to relate what is seen and heard 

 at the Zoological Gardens. And so much is related, and 

 has been related, and even printed, to mislead the public, 

 that, in the earnest hope and aspiration of assisting \\\ 

 correcting false impressions, I claim to repeat what was 

 heard as well as the rest. Besides, when persons talk as 

 loudly as if they were delivering a lecture, and apparently 

 with the benevolent intention of instructing the public 

 generally, one feels justified in quoting them. 



Eight years ago, when first contemplating this work, 

 and anxiously seeking to ascertain precisely what could 

 be learned, and what was already understood about 

 snakes, so far as the reptile house at the Zoological 

 Gardens was a means of instruction, I made very careful 

 notes of what I saw there, and occasionally of what I 

 heard there. 



In the summer of 1874 some well-dressed children, ac- 

 companied by their parents, were watching the pythons in 

 the largest cage, when one of the little ones asked, * Papa, 

 what is that thing that the snake keeps putting out of its 

 mouth } ' ' Oh, that is its poisonous sting,' replied the 



