VIPER INE FANGS. 369 



long prior to Fontana, and he probably borrowed the 

 expression ' dog-teeth ' from the old Virginia writers who 

 thus called the fangs. Purchas (1614), quoted in chap, xvi., 

 describes ' venomous Serpentes, one ten Spannes long, with 

 great Tuskes, which they hide and stretch out at pleasure.' ^ 

 And again, in describing ' foure kinds of venomous Snakes. 

 The first is greatest, Jararacucu, that is great Jararaca, and 

 they are ten Spannes long : they have great Tuskes hidden 

 in the Mouth along their Gummes, and when they bite they 

 stretch them like a Finger of the Hand ; they have their 

 Poyson in their Gummes, their Teeth crooked, and a Stroake 

 vpon them whereby the Poison runneth. Others say they 

 have it within the Tooth which is hollow within. It hath so 

 vehement a Poison that in foure-and-twentie Houres and 

 lesse it killeth a Man.' 2 



There can be no doubt but that viperlne fangs are here 

 described, those belonging to the South American Crotalidce, 

 under their vernacular but then their only names. Dr. Ed. 

 Tyson, who dissected the first rattlesnake that was handed 

 over to science (p. 275), quite understood the mobility of the 

 fangs, and of the existence of supplementary teeth, though 

 not fully comprehending the nature of these latter ; which 

 * I could not perceive were fastened to any Bone, but to 

 Muscles or Tendons there. These Fangs were not to be 

 perceived upon first opening the Mouth, they lying couched 

 under a strong Membrane or Sheath, but so as did make a 

 large Riseing there on the Outside of the lesser Teeth of 



^ The Relations of the World, and the Religions obseri'eJ in all Ages and in all 

 Places discouered since the Creatio7i, Book I. 1st ed. p. 842. London, 1614. 

 2 lb. 4th ed. p. 1393. 1625, 



2 A 



