SWALLOWING A FROG. 1 73 



proached to seize the victim, and in an instant after 

 it had reached striking-distance, this was accom- 

 plished. When the poor frog felt the snake's teeth 

 imbedded in one of its limbs, it made no at- 

 tempt to escape, but uttered the most plaintive 

 cries. By degrees, slowly but steadily, the whole 

 limb was absorbed into the reptile's throat, the 

 process being so strong and regular that the other 

 hind-leg was forced forward against and parallel 

 with the body. Although the carcass of the frog 

 appeared to be of greater width than the head of 

 the snake, it continued gradually to disappear. While 

 the victim's head was being drawn in, the unfor- 

 tunate animal uttered a low protracted wail, as if 

 sorrowfully bidding adieu to this world. The snake 

 closed its mouth, and the frog was entombed in its 

 stomach. 



In a quarter of an hour afterwards, upon opening 

 the serpent, the frog was found still alive ; and, 

 though its skin was scarified, I do not believe it had 

 received any wound likely to cause death. 



As many of my readers are not students of 

 science, I may mention, in explanation of this opera- 

 tion, that, at the apex of each jaw ; there is a 

 muscular substance capable of considerable expan- 

 sion. This substance, while it admits of enlargement, 

 also permits the side of each jaw to act indepen- 

 dently of the other, so that the victim is held fast 

 by one side of the mouth, while the other side of 

 it is moved forward in advance in order to obtain 



