358 CLASS REPTILIA. 



the fatal consequences of its bite, resulted, not from the fluid 

 poured into its fangs, but from what he termed the enraged 

 spirits of the animal. It is not necessary to enter into any 

 refutation of this fantasy at the present time of day ; six 

 thousand experiments performed at Florence by the cele- 

 brated Felice Fontana, have thrown this hypothesis com- 

 pletely into the shade. 



That naturalist has established as a principle that the 

 poison of the viper is harmless for certain animals, such as 

 the viper itself, the anguis^ the slug, the leech, &c. He has 

 also ascertained that this poison is neither acid nor alkaline 

 to any marked degree. 



Its taste is not very easy to determine, and very opposite 

 statements have been made on that svibject. The correct 

 one, however, appears to be that it leaves in the mouth a sen- 

 sation of an intermediate kind between that produced by a 

 narcotic substance and that of an astringent salt taken simul- 

 taneously. 



Its consistence is a medium between that of olive oil, and 

 the aqueous solution of gum Arabic. 



By dessication it grows yellow, and appears to crystallize, 

 or rather to concrete, in the manner of mucus or albumen. 



It remains a long time in the cavity of the tooth, whether 

 separated or not from the bone which supports it, and from 

 the membranes which envelope its base, just as we have 

 already mentioned to be the case with the fangs of the crotali. 



It is only with animals of a small volume that this poison 

 is constantly mortal. It appears to be more dangerous for 

 larger species in proportion as the serpent at the moment of 

 biting has a greater portion of venom in reserve, as the bites 

 have been more multiplied, as they have been made at a 

 greater distance from each other, and as the temperature of 

 the climate or season is hotter. CcBteris paribus, we find a 

 sparrow succumb under this bite in five or eight munites, a 



