EPIDERMAL APPENDAGES. 335 



facilitate matters greatly. The snake has no longer to rub 

 himself so vigorously, but simply to keep moving ; and at 

 every step, so to speak — that is, with every pair of ribs in 

 succession beginning at the neck — the large ventral scale 

 belonging to that pair is shoved off, carrying with it the 

 complete circle of scales. With an almost imperceptible 

 nudge each pair of ribs eases off a portion, which continually 

 lengthening as it is vacated, and reversed of course, folds 

 back more and more, till Ophio looks as if he were crawling 

 out of a silken tube. As he thus proceeds, now very 

 rapidly, he emerges bright and beautiful — six inches, a foot, 

 two feet ; and all the while each pair of ribs successively 

 performs its part with that nudging sort of action, like 

 elbowing off a coat sleeve. If we had begun to count from 

 the very first pair, and if he had not gone under his blanket 

 during the process, we could have told the precise number 

 of pairs of ribs which he has to assist his toilet. He had two 

 vards and a half of old coat to walk out of, but this he 

 achieves in far less time than it took him to get his head 

 clear. In his native tree or jungle he would have found 

 leaves and underbrush to aid the operation ; and it would be 

 a great kindness to snakes in captivity to provide them with 

 wisps of straw, when sloughing, or some rough rubbish in 

 their cages. Soft blankets and smooth wood-work do not 

 offer sufficient resistance for them. 



The constricting snakes are less at a loss. From their 

 pliancy of motion, and their habits of coiling — from the fact of 

 their 'whole body being a hand,' as we have already seen, 

 they can assist themselves by their own coils passing through 

 them, and so helping to drag off the slough. 



