REPTILES. 



Comparative Table of the Teeth of fcveral Serpents of North America, by Palifot Bc^uvois. 



Venotnous Teeth and Gland. — We have ftated that the 

 innocent ferpents have teeth along the maxillary edge of 

 the upper jaw, and in the palate ; that is, four parallel 

 rows, two external or maxillary, two internal or palatine. 

 The venomous kinds, inftead of the maxillary rows, have 

 the venomous fangs at the anterior end of each fuperior 

 maxillary branch ; and they pofiefs the palatine rows, as 

 well as the innocent ferpents. There is no difference in the 

 teeth of the lower jaw. The venomous fangs are much 

 longer and thicker than the other teeth : they are conical, 

 (harp-pointed, and perforated by a fine tube. They are 

 moveable at the will of the animal, and can be drawn up 

 from the jaw, or laid down at pleafure. They are contained 

 in a kind of cavity formed in the gums, from which their 

 point projefts. 



At the end of his account of Indian ferpentB, Rufiel has 

 given two finely engraved plates, reprefenting the appear- 

 ances of the teeth in the venomous and innocent fpecies. 

 In the coluber catenularis (tar-tuttahi, an innocent ferpent, 

 there are two marginal or maxillary rows of fimple teeth, 

 and two palatine rows. The vipera elegans (katukah- 

 rekula-podah) has alfo two palatine, but no marginal or 



maxillary rows. The teeth are furrounded by a fringed 

 membranous covering, whi.-:h almofl: conceals them. The 

 points alone appear, when the membrane is not entirely de- 

 preffed. At the anterior end of the maxillary bone, on 

 each fide, is a large membranous fac, wrinkled, and con- 

 taining the fangs. The vipera naja, or fpetftacle fnake, has 

 the palatine teeth, and two venomous fangs, like the laft ; 

 but the teeth are fmaller, the fangs fliorter, and the mem- 

 branous fac lefs apparent. The bungarura-pamah, a fpecies 

 of bungarus, has the palatine teeth, two fangs ftill fmaUer 

 than in the fpeftacle fnake, and at the edge of the mouth, 

 behind the orifice of the bag inclfifing the fangs, three 

 fmall teeth on each fide, which may be confidered as an 

 imperfedt maxillary row. 



In the vipera elegans, the fang is fixed to a bony bafis, 

 which is attached to the fuperior maxillary bone : tliis bafis 

 is much longer in the fpeftacle fnake, and has attached to 

 it the three fmall fimple teeth already mentioned. 



Behind the venomous fangs in the vipers and other fer- 

 pents, are other fmaller fangs, faid to be defigned to replace 

 the former when they are loft. 



Blumenbach has given an excellent deliueation of the 

 4X3 mouths 



