OPHIDIAN A CR OB A TS. 207 



legs, that is, one foot to each leg, a snake has only one foot 

 to each pair of legs ! 



Many of my observant readers have already discovered 

 for themselves where and what these numerous lees and 

 feet are. In the early days of my ophidian studies, 

 which then consisted chiefly of obser\^ations, I noticed the 

 action of limbs beneath the skin of the pythons as they 

 moved about, and more particularly when they were climb- 

 ing up the glass in front of their cages, and as in the case of 

 the glottis, I thought I had made a grand discovery ; and 

 so I had, as far as myself was concerned. 



Deductions from personal observation, which in the 

 history of many sciences have again and again been claimed 

 as original discoveries by rival thinkers or experimentalists, 

 no doubt zuere original on the part of each. 



Probably, also, many other persons have noticed this leg- 

 like action of the ribs, but who, not being specially interested 

 in snakeology, have never troubled themselves to ascertain 

 * further particulars,' or cared whether any one else had 

 observed this or not. But it is a very evident and un- 

 mistakeable action, and one quite worth studying on your 

 next visit to the Reptilium. 



Books on ophiology tell us that Sir Joseph Banks was 

 the first to observe this limb-like action of the ribs. Sir 

 Everard — then Mr. — Home, F.R.S, and the most dis- 

 tinguished anatomist of his time, was, however, the first to 

 publish a scientific description of the fact ; his account and 

 the illustrations accompanying it having been subsequently 

 adopted by most ophiologists. 



In vol. cii. of the PJalosopJiical Traiisactiojis of 18 12, p. 



