FIRST LESSONS IN ZOOLOGY 



Eastern and Middle United States, from Pennsylvania 

 and Nebraska southward. It is a vicious and dangerous 

 snake, striking without warning. The water-moccasin is 

 dark chestnut-brown, with darker markings. The head 

 is purplish-black above. It is found along the Atlantic 

 and Gulf coasts from North Carolina to Mexico, extend- 

 ing also some distance up the Mississippi valley. It is 

 distinctivel)' a water-snake, being found in damp, swampy 

 places or actuall)' in water. It reaches a length of over 

 four feet, and is a very venomous snake, striking on the 

 slightest provocation. The common, harmless water- 

 snake is often called water-moccasin in the Southern 

 States, being popularly confounded with this most dan- 

 gerous of our serpents. The 

 poison of all of these snakes 

 is a rather j'ellowish, trans- 

 parent, stick}' fluid, secreted 

 b}' glands in the head, from 

 which it flows through the 

 hollow maxillar)' fangs. The 

 character and position of 

 the fangs are shown in fig. 

 -r, „ „. . ri J r iS/. Rcmcdial measufcs for 



1' IG. 187. — Dissection of head of rat- ' 



tle-n.iki/; /, poison-fangs;/, poison- the bite of poisonous snakcs 



are, first, to stop, if possible, 

 the flow of blood from the wound to the heart by com- 

 pressing the veins between the wound and the heart; 

 then (if the lips are unbroken) to suck the poison from the 

 wound; next to introduce by h}'podennic injection per- 

 manganate of potash, bichloride of mercury, or chromic 

 acid into the wound; and finalh', perhaps, to take some 

 strong stimulant, as brand)- or whiskc)'. 



The crocodiles and alligators are reptiles familiar by 

 name and appearance, though seen in nature onl\- b\- the 

 inhabitants or visitors in tropical and semi-tropical lands. 



