THE RATTLESNAKE 133 



deadly, such as the cobra and various harlequin snakes. 

 But, innocent or harmless, all these snakes, instead of 

 having the great, conspicuous poison fangs of the rattlers 

 and vipers, have a series of teeth extending along either 

 side of both the jaws, as well as two rows of teeth in the 

 palate — six rows in all. They feed, however, as does the 

 rattlesnake, but with the disadvantage of having to over- 

 come and engulf a prey still living. The common 

 English snake will eat mice, lizards, or young birds, but 

 its favourite delicacy is the common frog. When pur- 

 sued by a snake, the frog seems to be half paralysed 

 with fear, leaping less and less powerfully as the snake 

 comes upon it. It is usually seized by the hind leg, 

 but should it be taken by the middle of the body the 

 snake invariably turns it till, by dexterous movements of 

 its jaws, the frog's head comes to be directed toward the 

 throat of the snake, and then it is swallowed head fore- 

 most. In menageries two or more snakes will often 

 seize upon the same frog, when each one begins to 

 swallow it from the point to which it has attached itself. 

 Soon, however, the jaws of the rival snakes come in con- 

 tact, and then follows a decisive struggle. On one such 

 occasion Mr. Bell, the late well-known English naturalist, 

 observed such a contest. He tells us (•' British Reptiles," 

 p. 51), that " On placing a large frog in a box in which 

 were several snakes, one of the latter instantly seized it 

 by one of its hinder legs, and immediately afterward 

 another of the snakes took forcible possession of the fore 

 leg of the opposite side. Each continued its inroads 

 upon the poor frog's limbs and body, until at length the 

 upper jaws of the snakes met, and one of them in the 

 course of its progress slightly bit the jaws of the other. 

 After one or two such accidents the more powerful of the 

 snakes commenced shaking the other, which still had 



