VENOMOUS SNAKES. 4 1 



to some herpetologists this arrangement must appear rather forced, 

 as his Venomous Colubrine Snakes have certainly a much nearer 

 resemblance in other respects to the Colubridce, than they have to the 

 Viperine Snakes. For the most part, these Reptiles are provided 

 with numerous teeth, which are lengthened, conical, thin, and pointed 

 like a needle, and more or less bent backwards. 



In Dr. GuDther's first sub-order, that of Non-venomous Snakes, the 

 teeth are either entirely smooth, or only the last of the maxillary 

 series is provided with a faint longitudinal groove, which is not 

 intended to convey a virus into the wound, the groove appearing 

 rather to increase the strength of the tooth. Many of them have 

 long teeth in front of the jaws or of the palate, but these are never 

 grooved or perforated, and only serve to afford a firmer hold on the 

 living and struggling prey. 



" The structure of the venom-tooth is not the same in all poisonous 

 Snakes : in some it is fixed to the maxillary bone, which is as long, 

 or nearly as long, as in the non-venomous Snakes, and generally 

 bears one or more ordinary teeth on its hinder portion. The venom- 

 tooth is fixed, more or less erect, not very long, and its channel is 

 generally visible as an external groove. The poisonous Snakes with 

 such a dentition have externally a more or less striking resemblance 

 to the non-venomous Serpents, and on this account they are designated 

 as Venomous Colubrine Snakes, forming our second sub-order." Two 

 very distinct families are here brought together — viz., the Elapidcz 

 (which comprises the Cobras and many others), and the Hydrophidcz 

 (or Sea Snakes). 



" In the other venomous Snakes, composing the third sub-order, 

 the maxillary bone is extremely short, and does not bear any teeth 

 except an exceedingly long fang, with a perfectly closed externally 

 invisible channel in its interior. Although this tooth also is fixed to 

 the bone, the bone itself is very mobile, so that the tooth, which is 

 laid backwards when at rest, can be erected the moment the animal 

 prepares to strike. This tooth or fang, like all the other teeth, is 

 not only occasionally lost, but appears to be shed at regular intervals. 

 From two to four other venom-fangs, in different stages of develop- 

 ment, destined to replace the one in action, exist between the folds 

 of the gum, and are not anchylosed to the bone." The more charac- 

 teristic venomous Snakes appertain to this sub-order — viz., the two 

 families Crotalidce (comprehending the Rattlesnakes, the Fer-de-Lance, 

 &c.) and ViperidcB (comprising the Vipers, Puff Adders, &c.) 



Let it be particularly borne in mind that the supposed dis- 

 tinguishing characters of all poisonous Snakes, as assigned by sundry 



