44 
large object to pass between such small jaws 
and through the snake’s delicate neck. Yet the 
adder continued the interesting exercise till I 
really feared those small jaws would tear asun- 
der from the severe strain experienced in 
forcing such a large body between them. Lit- 
tle by little the toad was drawn in; wider and 
still wider the snake’s juws expanded, till after 
experiencing some trouble with the toad’s 
plump fore-legs, the big meal gradually disap- 
peared within the snake’s nearly bursting 
throat. After an hour and a half of determined 
effort the toad was snugly resting within the 
snake’s roomy stomach. So swollen was the 
snake at the point where the toad rested as to 
be unable to move about, so I carefully raised 
the adder from the ground where the struggle 
was finished and placed it in a corner of the 
box to digest its big meal in undisturbed com- 
fort. 
After the toad disappeared down into the 
snake’s gullet, the jaws regained their normal 
condition and appearance, and except for the 
large lump midway in the snake’s body no one 
could hardly credit the fact that but a short 
time had elapsed since those delicate jaws ap- 
peared as if they must fly apart from the ap- 
parently unnatural strain they experienced. 
Witnessing the whole interesting event I was 
both surprised and impressed. That hearty 
meal sufficed the adder for two weeks. 
The snake’s food passes through the throat, 
