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Scientific Intelligence . 
times they were covered with a membrane like a scabbard, only 
they were drawn back, so that the sheathing membrane formed 
only a slight protuberance on each side of the upper jaw. If 
irritated, he flattened his head, threw it back, opened his mouth 
wideband instantly the fatal fangs were shot out of their sheaths, 
like a spring-dagger, and he darted upon his object.— 44 After his 
death,” says Mr Pierce, 44 1 examined the fangs : they are shaped 
like a sickle ; a duct led from the reservoir of poison at the bottom 
of the tooth, quite through its whole length, and terminated just 
by the point, which was exceedingly sharp. Thus the fang is 
darted out at the will of the animal ; it makes the puncture at the 
instant, and simultaneously the poison flows through the duct, 
and is deposited in the very bottom of the wound. As this rarely 
fails to touch a bloodvessel, the venom is thus instantly issued 
into the system, and without delay commences the march of 
death through every vein and artery.” — American Journal of 
Science , vol. ii. p. 229. 
18. Drift-Wood accumulated in the Acliafalaya . — The quan- 
tity of wood drifted into the River Acliafalaya is so enormous, 
that several hundred miles are converted into solid rafts of wood, 
which, in the course of every two or three years disappear un- 
der the sand and leaves. By this operation, the bed of the 
Achafalaya is alternately removed four or five miles to the east, 
or two or three to the west, but more commonly to the east. 
On that side, it has already gained more than ten miles since it 
has become an outlet of that river. When Mr Bringier landed 
at the mouth of this river in 1812, when it was at the fullest, 
he was surprised at the quantity of wood leaping perpetually 
into the shoot. He then counted the large trees entering the 
river in a given time, and found that more than 8000 cubic feet 
passed in a minute, besides leaves, bark, reeds, &c. whose united 
quantity is probably equal to that of the wood. The rafts on 
the Red River are equally remarkable. This river is about 
sixty miles in length, and in many places fifteen miles in breadth. 
In some parts of this river, cedar trees are heaped up by them- 
selves, and in other places pines. At the foot of a hill where 
nothing else grows, the flood sweeps them into a pile, where 
they are matted together with their leaves, and with the pods 
