404 SNAKES. 



Dr. Stradling, begging him to tell me if he had observed 

 anything unusual in Xcnodoiis ' fangs/ That I had ex- 

 amined them and seen what appeared very extraordinary ; 

 but before describing it, was desirous of having my 

 observations confirmed by him. 



But the Dr. had been unexpectedly appointed to another 

 ship, which would sail immediately. Many weeks must, 

 therefore, elapse before his reply could reach me. 



That day there was but one direction to which my 

 ophidian compass directed my steps, viz. the British 

 Museum ; and several days were spent there hunting every 

 possible book to find any mention of Xenodoiis moveable 

 teeth, but in vain. Surely a feature so exceptional would 

 have been described had it been observed. Pardon, kind 

 reader, these many words about ' so small an affair ; ' but 

 you who are naturalists know the peculiar charm of finding 

 ' something new,' producing, as Charles Kingsley described, 

 ' emotions not unmixed with awe,' that among the happy 

 memories of study or of travel ' stand out as beacon points.* 

 It was my great ambition to add ' something new ' to science. 

 But here was I with a secret ' discovery,' and not knowing what 

 to do with it. And ' if anything should happen ' to Xenodon 

 meanwhile ! Then the keeper would be reprimanded. 

 Plainly, courtesy demanded that the secretary of the London 

 Zoological Society should receive an explanation of my 

 infringement of rules ; therefore, in a letter to him, I described 

 Xeiiodon's whole history. I also wrote a detailed account 

 of Xenodon to a friend who edited a zoological publication, 

 under the delusion that I should be invited to contribute a 

 full, true, and particular account of these wonderful teeth 



