146 



BEGINNERS' ZOOLOGY 



Fig. 276. 



and death from blood being withdrawn from brain. Al- 

 ways two punctures, the closer together the smaller the 

 snake. Remedies: Ligature between wound and heart, 

 lance wound and suck ; inject into wound three drops of 1 

 per cent solution of chromic acid or potassium perman- 

 ganate. Give strychnine, hypodermically, until strychnine 

 symptoms (twitchings) appear. No one but a physician 

 should give strychnine. Digitalin or caffein acts like 

 strychnine ; alcohol has opposite effect. 



Protective Coloration and Mimicry. — When an animal 

 imitates the colour or form of its inanimate! surroundings it 



is said to be protectively 

 coloured or formed. Give 

 an instance of protective 

 Coloration or form a- 

 mong lizards; butterflies; 

 grasshoppers ; amphi- 

 bians; echinoderms. 

 When an animal imitates the colour or the form of 

 another animal it is said to mimic the animal. Mimicry 

 usually enables an animal to deceive 

 enemies into mistaking it for an ani- 

 mal which for some reason they avoid. 

 The milkweed butterfly has a taste 

 that is repulsive to birds. The vice- 

 roy butterfly is palatable to birds, but 

 it is left untouched because of its 

 close resemblance to the repulsive 

 milkweed butterfly. The harlequin 

 snake (Eiaps) of the Gulf states is the 

 most deadly snake of North America 

 (Figs. 277, 278). It is very strikingly coloured with rings of 

 scarlet, yellow, and black. This is an example of warning 

 coloration. The scarlet snake (Lampropeltis) has bands of 



" Glass Snake," a lizard 

 without lees. 



Fig. 277. — Skull of 



ELAPS. Sec colored 



fig- 5- 



Fig. 278. = Skull of 

 Lampropeltis. 



