348 OBSERVATIONS ON INSECTS AND YEEMES. 



backward, like a stocking, or woman's glove.* Not only the 

 whole skin, but scales from the very eyes, are peeled off, and 

 appear in the head of the slough like a pair of spectacles. 

 The reptile, at the time of changing his coat, had entangled 

 himself intricately in the grass and weeds, so that the friction 

 of the stalks and blades might promote this curious shifting 

 of his exuvifB 



" Lubrica serpens 



Exuit in spinis vestem." LUCKET. 



Smooth serpents that in thickets leave their skin. 



It would be a most entertaining sight, could a person be 

 an eyewitness to such a feat, and see the snake in the act of 

 changing his garment. As the convexity of the scales of the 

 eyes in the slough is now inward, that circumstance alone is 

 a proof that the skin has been turned : not to mention that 

 now the present inside is much darker than the outer. If 

 you look through the scales of the snake's eyes from the 

 concave side, viz. as the reptile used them, they lessen objects 

 much. Thus it appears, from what has been said, that snakes 

 crawl out of the mouth of their own sloughs, and quit the 

 tail part last, just as eels are skinned by a cook-maid. While 

 the scales of the eyes are growing loose, and a new skin is 

 forming, the creature, in appearance, must be blind, and feel 

 itself in an awkward, uneasy situation. WHITE. 



I have seen many sloughs, or skins of snakes, entire, after 

 they have cast them oif; and once, in particular, I remember 

 to have found one of these sloughs so intricately interwoven 

 amongst some brakes, that it was with difficulty removed 

 without being broken : this undoubtedly was done by the 

 creature to assist in getting rid of its encumbrance. 



I have great reason to suppose that the eft, or common 

 lizard, also casts its skin, or slough, but not entire like the 

 snake ; for, on the 30th of March, 1777, I saw one with 

 something ragged hanging to it, which appeared to be part 

 of its old skin. MAEKWICK. 



* " The snake, renew'd in all his speckled pride 

 Of pompous youth, has cast his slough aside ; 

 And in his summer livery rolls along, 

 Erect, and brandishing his forked tongue." DRYDEN. ED. 



