278 THE HARMONIES OF NATURE. 



surrounded by a double aponeurotic capsule, of which the outer- 

 most and strongest layer is in connexion with a muscle, by 

 whose contraction the gland is compressed and emptied of its 

 secretion, which is thus conveyed by the duct to the basal 

 aperture of the poison-canal of the fang. We may suppose that 

 as the analogous salivary glands in other animals are most 

 active under particular emotions, the rage or hunger which 

 stimulates the venom-snake to use its deadly weapon must 

 be accompanied with an increased secretion and great disten- 

 sion of the poison-glands ; and, as the action of the compress- 

 ing muscles is contemporaneous with the blow by which the 

 serpent inflicts its wound, the poison is at the same moment 

 injected with force into the wound by the apicial outlet of the 

 perforated fang. 



Strange to say, this deadly liquid has no acrid or burning 

 taste or smell to announce its fatal properties ; the tongue would 

 pronounce it in offensive, and it can even be swallowed with im- 

 punity ; yet the smallest quantity introduced into an open wound 

 suffices to dissolve the blood, and to paralyse the stream of 

 life with an almost incredible rapidity. No chemist has yet 

 been able to solve the enigma of its action, to explain the reason 

 of its deadly effects ! 



Had the poison-fangs been immoveably fixed they would 

 have been great hindrances to the act of swallowing, but this 

 inconvenience has been obviated by the great mobility of the 

 superior maxillary bone to which they are attached, so that they 

 can voluntarily either be concealed in the gum with their point 

 turned backwards, or pushed forwards and erected. 



Lancets of needle-like dimensions must necessarily be fragile, 

 but here also precautions have been taken against an irreparable 

 loss, as an aftergrowth of supplementary fangs is constantly in 

 readiness to replace them when broken. Thus even the terrible 

 poison apparatus of the viper is full of wonders, and equally 

 worthy of admiration and of fear. 



In spite of their proverbial 'wisdom' and the frequent pos- 

 session of a weapon of such annihilating power, the serpents, 

 among whose two hundred and sixty- three known species 

 fifty-seven are venomous, would never have been able to main- 

 tain their existence had they not possessed the faculty of 

 swallowing at one meal enormous masses of animal food. 



