( 379 ;) 
which the poifonous Fang is fix’d a little outwards and 
upwards. Between the lafl defcribed Mufcle and Gland 
palVes a Nerve to the upper Part of the Bone which re- 
ceives theTooth(F/^.i.E.and J F;^.i.B.) and it is probable 
that this Nerve has been taken for the excretorfEucl of 
the Gland before mention’d. Opening the Mouth, two 
fmall Eminencies appear in the Fore-part on the Infide of 
the upper Jaw, being a Membrane , raifed by the Fangs 
and drawn over them like the Mouth of a Purfe (Fig, 
3.A.B. Fig . z, C.) This Membrane is thick andftrong, 
and placed in a Microfcope, appears to have a Num- 
ber of Glands, fome of which are even vilible to the 
naked Eye. In a common Viper I obferved one on each 
Side the Fang. Thefe Membranes prevent the invo- 
luntary Difcharge of the Poifon out of the Fangs (which 
in my Opinion are the only Refofitories of that Fluid) 
into the Mouth, as alfo the killing with the Fangs lit- 
tle Animals on which they fometimes feed. Putting 
back this Membrane, the fatal Fangs appear, which on 
firft View feem’d to be only one on each Side, till 
fearching further there appeared four more ; the firft 
and largefl is fix’d in a Bone , which Bone is articula- 
ted to the fore Part of the upper Jaw (Fig. t. F.) The 
four others are fattened in and covered with ftrong ten- 
dinous Membranes, and lie as it were one over another 
(Fig.z, B. Fig . 3. C. and E.) Thefe Teeth are crooked and 
bent in this Form^efpecially the firft, and have each two 
T erf or at ions y the one on the upper Part, the other at 
the lower Part of its convex Side } which lafl comes 
quite to the Point, and refembles the Hoping Cut of a 
Pen. The upper Perforation (Fig. 4. A.) I imagine 
receives the Poifon, the other tranfmits it into the 
Wound (Fig. 4, B.) All thefe Fangs are tubular , the 
Ee e i largefl 
