HEIlPETOWar. 315 



its way iuwards. Sometimos tliesc two fangs are found perfect at the same time, 

 then one of them, generally the inner or old fang, will bo loose. This occurs at the 

 time of easting the skin, and I have several times removed the old fangs easily with 

 the finger and thumb or a small forrcps. 



" The fang is slightly curved backwards and inserted at an angle so as to 

 form a hook in the jaw. It is in shape like a short elephant-tusk and does 

 not exceed 28-hundrcdths of an inch in the longest specimen I have seen. In 

 structure it differs from other teeth in liaving, when fixed, two orifices communi- 

 cating with the interior. Instead of a conical hollow, it contains a complete canal. 

 Both orifices are in front, the upper close to and forming part of the base, the lower 

 at a distance from the point equal to about one-tenth of tlio length of the fang ; 

 a groove connects the orifices, or rather did connect them during the growth of the 

 fang, at whicli timo the canal, originally open in its entire length, gradually closed 

 from above downwards. The canal only occupies the front half of the fang ; the 

 hiuder part is a bou^- column giving considerable strength to the structure. 



" In the Vipcrine snakes a transition takes place, gradually culminating in the 

 most perfect form of poiscm apparatus, viz. a long fang usually lying supine along 

 the jaw, but capable of erection by a special muscle. The genus Trimeresiirus 

 is not nearly so complete as this, the fang is long, but there is no special muscle 

 exterior of erection. The maxilla consists of an open shell communicating with the 

 exterior of the cheek. But it is in Daboia that we sec the perfection of nu'cluinism ; 

 on removal of the skin covering the cheek, we come at once across a strong tendon 

 lying below the eye ; it arises from the muscles of the cheek and from the fibrous 

 covering of the poison-gland, and is inserted into the maxilla. This bono is found 

 to be considerably modified in form ; it is no longer placed below the orbit, this 

 position is occupied by the elongated external pterygoid, whilst the maxilla, only 

 one-fifth of an inch long (in a large Daboia) but double that in height, is placed 

 at the end of this bone like a hammer-head at the end of its handle. Imagine the 

 head of a hammer, with the claw downwards representing the fang, hinged at its 

 junction with the handle, and with a string iastcned to the head so as to erect at 

 will the claw from its usual supine state ; you will then have a pretty accurate idea 

 of the mechanism of a viper's upper jaw. 



" In the vipers the fang is much longer than in the cobra and other Elapidic, but 

 their length has been greatly exaggerated, as it rarely exceeds half an inch in the 

 largest specimens. It is of larger calibre also, and the poison duct is i)lainly seen 

 to enter the mouth just in front of its superior orifice ; the duct wiuds round a groove 

 in the surface of the maxilla, and a bristle passed along its canal from behind forwards 

 can hardly fail to pass out at the buccal orifice at the bottom of the gingival 

 envelope of the fang. ^Muscular pressure and spasmodic action of the gland cause 

 an ejection of poison into the fang and through it into the wound. But under 

 ordinary circumstances the poisonous saliva finds its way into the mouth just like 

 the saliva of the other glands running down the inside of the gingival fold along 

 the outer surface of the fang. I have seen the saliva ejected by an enraged cobra 

 in quantities which could not have passed through the fang, for experiments enable 

 me to affirm that a cobra could not inject through the fang with more force than 

 would be necessary to expel one drop (a minim) in three seconds, so fine is the 

 inferior orifice of the fang. A viper could, however, inject the same quantity in 

 half a second, and fluid may be forced through its fang, in a fine stream, while small 

 single droplets can alone be ejected from the cobra's fang." 



To kill a snake. Dr. Nicholson recommends placing it in a bottle with some 

 chloroform, the vapour from which soon destroys it painlessly ; but this is not always 

 practicable, and can only apply to small snakes, and Dr. Nicholson very justly adds: 

 " Do not commit the cruelty of putting a snake alive into a bottle of spirit, for as 

 long as a bul)ble of air remains in the bottle the snake can breathe, and the death is 

 a most Lingering one." My own plan is as follows. I first catch my snake. This is 

 easily effected by pinning him down with a stick, and seizing him firmly by the nape. 

 I then either divide the spine at the najjc with a pair of nail scissors, or a penknife, 

 or make a slit in the cardiac region of the abdomen, and extract the heart with tho 



