OF THE TEETH. 
43 
In studying the structure of the teeth of Ophidians, we 
find an insensible passage from solid teeth to fangs. Each 
tooth consists, in its first stages of development, of a 
lamella turned up at the sides, so as to be open on its 
anterior face. In the solid teeth, this fissure is soldered 
up at a very early age of the animal; it remains open 
a little longer in the fangs of venomous snakes, properly 
so called, but at the time of maturity, these fangs only ex- 
hibit the two apertures destined for the entrance and emis- 
sion of the poison, the lower of which always appears as a 
longitudinal fissure. The other venomous serpents have 
analogous fangs, but we can always perceive traces of the 
groove which unite the two orifices for the poison; the 
channel, then, of the posterior and longest teeth of certain 
harmless Ophidians, is merely that fissure remaining open 
Africa, as in Europe, the inhabitants indiscriminately consider a& 
venomous a great many snakes, especially if their aspect has any thing 
hideous. M. Reinwardt, during his residence in Java, discovered 
the existence of grooved teeth in several species of the ancient genus 
Coluber ; when published by the late M. Lichtenault and other tra^ 
vellers, and accompanied by the accounts of the nature of serpents cur- 
rent in that isle, this discovery attracted the attention of European 
naturalists. Boie has detailed similar observations of Professor 
Reinwardt on many other Ophidians. I published, in 1827, in a me- 
moir inserted in the Acta Curios. Naturae of Bonn, my own researches 
relative to this fact. Since that period, the question has often been dis- 
cussed, and it has even been concluded on anatomical investigation, that 
we ought to consider all serpents as dangerous, whose posterior teeth were 
long or grooved. I have arrived by analogous researches, and by a 
rigorous examination of the accounts which are detailed on the suspi- 
cious characters of certain snakes, at a very opposite conclusion. The 
structure of the supposed posterior venomous gland, so absolutely like 
the other salivary glands, cannot permit a doubt to remain that it se- 
cretes a fluid similar to the ordinary saliva : besides, the recent obser- 
vations of travellers serve to shew, that the bites, neither of the Drio- 
phis nor of the Dipsas, serpents with grooved teeth, produce any fatal 
effects on man. 
The glands of the head of serpents have furnished materials for nu- 
merous dissertations, published by Ranby (Phil. Trans. N. 401, p. 
377, — by Russel, by Seifert, by Tiedemann, Mem. de VAcad. de 
Munich, 1813, p. 25, — by Cloqdet, Mem. du Mus,, Vol. VII. p. 62, — 
by Demoulins, ap Magendie, Journ. de Physique, IV. p. 274, — by 
Meckel, Archiv. I., — and by Duvernoy, Ann. de Sci. Nat. XXVI. and 
XXX. We find also remarks relative to this subject in the works of 
Redi, Mead, Fontana, and Charas. 
