164 THE VIVARIUM. 
the touch of the tongue of a moderately-sized Snake is scarcely 
felt on the hand. It also seems so sensitive that its owner is able 
to obtain by its help some knowledge of an object without bring- 
ing the tongue quite in contact with it; just as a blinded bat is 
said to have the power, by means of its extremely sensitive wings, 
of detecting the presence of an object it cannot see. 
In some books of natural history it is asserted that the Snake 
uses its tongue for licking its prey in order to cover it with saliva, 
and so facilitate the act of swallowing. This is, however, a mis- 
take; the prey is indeed enveloped with saliva before it passes 
the throat, but not by means of the tongue, which could not 
possibly perform such an office. Occasionally one reads that the 
tongue of a Snake is used as an organ of sound, but this is another 
delusion. The lung prcduces the sound known as hissing, and 
which often is a cause of terror to both man and beast. 
The Snake, therefore, does not use its long, slender, pliant, 
forked tongue for wounding its enemies, for lubricating its prey, 
or for making sound. 
That a Snake is slimy or clammy to the touch, like a worm, 
slug, or eel, is also one of the common mistakes referred to in 
regard to these Reptiles. People, when I have prevailed upon 
them to place a hand on the body of a Snake, have exclaimed, 
“Why, it is not slimy after all!” 
It seems quite a revelation to them that it is no more unpleasant 
to touch a Snake than a piece of ivory. Both are quite dry, and 
both are warm or cold according to their surroundings. If a 
Snake be taken from a well-heated vivarium its body will be 
warm and the converse. 
A great deal has been written from time to time concerning 
the Snake’s power of fascination. It may be safely said that the 
popular idea about this supposed power is an illusion. That some 
animals have this property to a certain extent there can be no 
doubt, e.g., a stoat can exert a strange influence over a rabbit, 
and a cat over a mouse. There is foundation for most delusions 
of this kind, and the one now referred to is no exception to the 
rule. An observer, for instance, has seen a mouse fleeing with 
great apparent difficulty from a pursuing Viper. Presently the 
quadruped ceases to run, staggers, becomes almost motionless, 
or some similar expression. 
