APPENDIX. 675 



a hard enamelled texture, the breadth of the body being their greatest length. These scutte form 

 in this, as indeed in nearly all snakes, the organs of locomotion. Its head is flattened, and its 

 jaws are armed with two rows of strong teeth bent backwards ; these when once buried in the 

 flesh act like hooks, and prevent any animal from withdrawing itself as long as the jaws remain 

 closed : the vertebral column is so constructed that from the middle of each vertebra on both 

 sides a rib articulates, so loosely, that the most jjerfect flexibility is retained ; the lower ends of 

 each pair of ribs are joined to the inner surface of the abdominal scales and can through certain 

 muscles be moved forward by pairs; as each pair is moved the scale to which it is joined does 

 the same, and this being pressed upon the ground, the sharp posterior edge takes hold of the 

 surface ; and so on with them all. This principle of progression may be best seen when a snake 

 is ascending the steps of a stair, each scale in its turn being then easily observed to catch upon 

 the sharp angle of the step and form a point from which the next is moved. As far as I have 

 been able to observe, the Python is sluggish in its habits, and prefers lying in wait for its prey. 

 The smaller ones feed upon frogs, small mammalia, such as rats, mice, &c., and also birds, 

 principally partridges and quails, these living mostly on the ground. The larger ones that are 

 found in the jungle lie concealed from view by some bush or long grass, and when lying motion- 

 less resemble the trunk of a tree or bit of stone so closely that the eye is frequently deceived as 

 to the object. They adopt this method of lying in wait from the comparative slowness of their 

 progressive motion, their muscular powers being more adapted for constriction than locomotion. 

 At the root of the tail organs may be seen resembling hooks or claws, and which have been m. J. L. & S. 

 supposed by some authors to be mere useless rudiments of limbs ; but to the animal they are of ^'^- P*; "• 

 the most important use, particularly to the larger species ; for by them the snake fastens itself ^ ' 

 to a tree, thereby giving itself greater power and free use of its body when encircling some victim 

 within its folds. 



The neighbourhood of water or the vicinity of some forest-path is the favourite haunt of 

 this reptile ; his tail entwining round the trunk or stump of a tree, his body carefully hid from view 

 by the thick foliage or rank grass of the jungle, he lies perfectly still and motionless, waiting for 

 any unconscious animal that may be repairing to the stream to slake its thirst. The moment its 

 intended victim passes within reach the snake darts upon it, making the jaws meet in its throat, 

 and entwining its body in folds around the chest of its prey, so as to cause suff'ocation ; death 

 ensues merely from want of power of expansion in the chest to enable the lungs to play. When 

 satisfied that life is extinct, the reptile gradually unlocks each limb by unfolding its body, and 

 does not, to the best of my knowledge, further break the bones of its prey (as is commonly 

 believed) to better enable deglutition ; if any bones are fractured it is merely from the force 

 used in suff"ocating the prey. In the case mentioned above there was not a single broken bone 

 in the body of the deer, which is sufficient proof to show that deglutition can take place without 

 fracture of the skeleton. 



The next act is that of swallowing ; and this is an operation that takes considerable time and 

 exertion on the part of the snake. He generally commences by the head, which, being the 

 smaller part, serves to extend the throat of the Python, and prepare it gradually for the immense 

 strain it has to undergo when forcing down the more bulky part of the prey. 



The mechanism of the jaws of the snake is wonderfully adapted for the distention they have 



