136 SNAKES. 



mobile qui s'ajuste, surl'ouvcrture lin^aire ; c'est la glotte. . . . 

 La glotte, situee au-dessous de la victime, se porte en avant, 

 et Tacte de respiration ne se trouve point empeche. C'est 

 que nous avons indique a I'article de la deglutition ; car on 

 voit distinctement alors la glotte se fermer et se d^later.' ^ 



This petite langnette became a new object of curiosity, 

 and soon came fresh opportunities for observation, namely, 

 when some of the larger snakes were engaged in yawning. On 

 account of its extreme mobility, you do not always detect 

 the form of this little point on the upper lip, which as often 

 as not presents a rounded opening ; but occasionally the 

 little tongue — which can be nothing but an apology for an 

 epiglottis — is very distinct, and may be compared with the 

 moveable, pointed snout of some of the large pachyderms, 

 or, still better, with an exactly similar formation at the end 

 of the elephant's trunk, and which, though for a different 

 purpose, moves similarly. 



As to the exact position of this glottis when at rest, a word 

 or two must be said ; for a number of prepositions have been 

 used to describe it. One writer says ' beneath ' the tongue 

 sheath, others say ' beyond,' others again ' before ; ' ' over,' 

 'above,' ' behind,' 'in front of,' have been variously used, and 

 all depending on which way the snake is viewed ; but without 

 drawing upon half a score of prepositions to puzzle the 

 reader, as I myself was sorely puzzled until a yawning 

 snake was so kind as to afford me an ocular scrutiny of its 

 lingual arrangements, we can easily comprehend where a 

 passage to the windpipe and lungs must necessarily be, and 

 which, it is clear, is not under the tongue. When a snake's 



^ Erpitologie generak, tome vi. p. \']'j et scq. 



