372 SNAKES. 



French in 1673. Cliaras, after describing the ' Great Teeth! 

 refers to the * smaller teeth ' (reserve fangs) ' that are there 

 in a Nursery, and are, if we may say so, in expectation to 

 serve instead of the many Teeth, whether these come to 

 fail of their force, or fall out of themselves.' The author, 

 to add weight to conclusions evidently originating from 

 personal investigations, tells us that he had 'taken Pains 

 to grovel with a good deal of Patience in the Gums of innu- 

 merable Vipers.' 



The Italian Redi, even prior to Charas, had also 'grovelled' 

 in the gums of Vipers, and observed the canal or slit in the 

 fang, ^ si feiidono per lo hingo dalla radiee alia piintal and 

 that these canaliculated teeth in the moveable jaws {pssi 

 vwblli) were for the conveyance of the venom. ^ 



Thus, one hundred years prior to the work of Fontana, 

 the structure of the viperine jaw was understood and described 

 by several — we may almost say many — anatomists, to whom 

 let due honour be rendered for their individual and inde- 

 pendent researches ; from all of which Fontana had doubt- 

 less benefited. 



And so from numerous sources we might go on culling 

 and quoting; PJiilosophical Trausactiotis of France, Florence, 

 Germany, and America, as well as of England, showing us 

 that little by little the scientific workers examine, compare, 

 correspond, till out of their life's labours a fact is established 

 that may be printed and learned in six lines, but which — 

 as is well worth remembering — often represents the brain 

 and eyes and time of ages of scientists. 



Next to engage attention was the structure of the fang 



^ Csservazwnc iiitonio al'e Viper e, by Francesco Redi. Florence, 1664. 



