SNAKES. 121 



snake showed that, from its enormously dis- 

 tended body, it must have swallowed its com- 

 panion, which was about nine feet in length. 

 Unable to curl itself round, it was stretched 

 nearly full length along the floor of the cage, its 

 body distended to bursting point, and its scales 

 no longer forming a faultlessly overlapping series, 

 but stretched wide apart like so many small 

 islands. Within eight-and-twenty days not only 

 had the gigantic meal been digested, but another 

 pigeon introduced into the den was immediately 

 swallowed ! 



" This peculiar case," says Dr Gadow, " is not 

 one of ordinary cannibalism : it is rather an un- 

 intentional accident. When two snakes happen 

 to get hold of the same animal . . . and begin 

 to swallow it, the action of swallowing becomes 

 almost mechanical, the snakes continuing to push 

 their jaws over their prey ... so long as they 

 feel something in the mouth. After the original 

 prey has been mastered, it is the turn of the 

 opposite snake's head, and if the weaker snake 

 does not give way it is swallowed by its stronger 

 mate." 



Some snakes kill their prey before swallowing 

 it ; others swallow it alive. The Common Grass 

 Snake (Tropidonotus natrix), for example, swallows 

 its prey after the latter fashion. Fishes and 

 frogs form its commonest victims. The former 

 are seized by the belly and borne to land ; the 

 latter, if seized by one hind leg, is gradually 

 swallowed without more ado, the other three 

 limbs being pushed forward towards the head. 

 If seized by the middle, the hapless victim is 



