Jaii. 1, 1865.] 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



3 



be surprised at finding ourselves starting 

 back ; at feeling a slight and momentary 

 sensation, as of a drop of water trickling down 

 our back ; or at forgetting to observe whether 

 the intruder was really a vij)er or a snake 1 



" Yiper or snake, snake or vijyer 1 And is 

 there a pin to choose between them?" inquires 

 a voice at our ear. To this query we will 

 attempt an answer, because it is a presenti- 

 ment we have, that there is more romance 

 amongst us, and less sound knowledge, with 

 regard to reptiles, than any other of the 

 objects of natural history. Under the term 

 reptiles we include lizards, slow-worms, 

 snakes, vipers, frogs, toads, and newts. The 

 latter perhaps better known since aquariums 

 and vivariums have become fashionable than 

 ever they were before. All reptiles are cold- 

 blooded. They possess a heart, it is true ; but, 

 as compared with higher organisms, an im- 

 perfect one, inasmuch as it has but one ven- 

 tricle : the result of this is that respiration is 

 imperfect, and as respiration gives heat to the 

 blood, which in turn sustains the heat of the 

 body, it follows necessarily from their organi- 

 zation that the temperature in reptiles should 

 be very low. Let a frog leap upon your 

 hand, or take a newt between your fingers, 

 and the chilly, smooth, apparently slimy 

 appeal to the sense of touch, will carry 

 conviction far swifter than argument. 



Of reptiles possessing the snake-like form 

 we have but three species indigenous to this 

 country, and one of these, the little " slow- 

 v/orm," differs sufiiciently in a scientific sense, 

 as well as in its general size and appearance, 

 to be excluded from.our present consideration. 

 The other two species are the common snake, 

 and the viper or adder. Although we may 

 have heard, in youthful days, of red vipers, 

 blue-bellied vipers, and black vipers, and 

 adders, yet there is but one species of reptile 

 to answer to all these synonyms. 



It is well known that of the serpent race 

 there are some that are venomous, and others 

 that are not ; each of these groups has its 

 representative in Britain, one being perfectly 

 gentle and harmless, the other dangei^oush^, 

 even if not fatally, poisonous. It is a firmly- 

 rooted belief in some districts that the bite 

 of the adder, however slight, is certain death 

 to the victim ; whilst amongst naturalists 

 there remains a doubt whether the fatal ter- 

 minations are not very exceptional. Not- 

 withstanding the dread of the common snake 

 which is shared equally with the viper, it 

 cannot be dangerous or injurious, because it 

 possesses neither the glands for secreting, nor 

 fangs for injecting the poison. Only school- 



boys? we should think, entertain the notion 

 that the slender forked tongue, so swift in its 

 movements, possesses the sting. 



"Without attempting to set forth, in scien- 

 tific form and terminology, the generic and 

 specific characters of snake and viper, we 

 may nevertheless endeavour to point out the 

 features by which one may be distinguished 

 from the other. The common or ringed 

 snake (called Natrix torquata by scientific 

 men) grows to the length of three or four 

 feet ; the general colour above is of a greyish 

 olive with rows of black spots, it is of a 

 greenish-j^elloworlead colour beneath, marbled 

 with black. At the back of the head are two 

 brightish yellow spots, behind which are two 

 black spots or bands, which sometimes become 

 confluent. The scales on the head are nine 

 in number and large. It is found all over 

 Britain, especially in the neighbourhood of 

 water, and in damper situations than the 

 vipei". This reptile is easily tamed, and Mr. 

 Bell states, in his " History of British Rep- 

 tiles," that he had one which knew him from 

 all other persons ; and when let out of its 

 box would immediately go to him, and crawl 

 under the sleeve of his coat, where it would 

 lie perfectly still and enjoy the warmth. lb 

 was accustomed to come to his hand for a 

 draught of milk every morning at breakfast, 

 of its own accord, but would fly from strangers, 

 and hiss if they meddled with it. 



This snake, in common with others, changes 

 its skin at intervals, but not, as has been 

 stated, at regular periods, or once a year ; 

 but sometimes four or five times during the 

 year, and often less, according to circumstances. 

 In tills " sloughing " process the reptile bursts 

 the cuticle about its neck, draws out its 

 head, the old skin is thrust back, and the 

 snake crawls out. In this process the skin is 

 turned inside out, and left on the grass to 

 scare unwary females into the belief that they 

 have seen a snake, little dreaming that they 

 have only been shuddering at its old clothes. 



Whab does the snake eat ? — Undoubtedly it 

 delights in frogs, young birds, birds' eggs, and 

 even mice. Imagine the little shudder and 

 start in which we indulged in boyhood, on 

 putting our hand, with felonious intent, into 

 a bird's nest (we couldn't see into it), and 

 finding our fingers come in contact with the 

 smooth cold folds of a coiled-up snake ! It 

 was the last time y^efelt for eggs before seeing 

 them. That was an experiment too satisfac- 

 tory in its results to require repetition. The 

 author already quoted gives an interesting 

 account of a snake's meal : — " If it be a frog, 

 it generally seizes it by the hinder leg, be- 

 ii2 



