QUFFR WAYS OF WARRING. IO9 
The little “chip” snake, the green and the striped 
snakes, and, indeed, the black snake and the adders also, 
mean us no harm when they raise their heads and show 
their long, forked tongues. They are not even making 
faces at us, but are merely trying to feel their way in what 
is for them a rather dark and very uncertain world. The 
snakes are at a disadvantage in the matter of eyesight, as 
well as in their way of walkings which we will learn some¬ 
thing about further on. The skin or membrane that is 
stretched permanently over the eye in the place of mova¬ 
ble eyelids, and which gives to all snakes a fixed, glassy 
stare, shuts out considerable light, and, as his eye is none 
of the best anyway, the poor snake is half blind as com¬ 
pared with the keen-eyed birds and boys that are his dead¬ 
ly enemies. So the poor snake, when not alarmed, goes 
slowly about, feeling his way with his tongue, and we mis¬ 
take an infirmity for a matter of temperament or charac¬ 
ter—a very common mistake in the world. 
There is much that is interesting about snakes, and as 
the boys will be sure to ask many questions, it is well to 
be able to answer some of them. Besides, we may find 
ourselves becoming interested, notwithstanding our preju¬ 
dices, and shall thus add another to our list of objects to 
be observed and studied in our rambles. The tongue, as 
already hinted, is peculiarly useful to the snake" as an or¬ 
gan of touch. It is forked, so as to be twice as effective 
as it would be if it ended in a single point. It is long and 
the branches are so delicate that they must never be per¬ 
mitted to become dry. So the snake has a sheath in which 
it rests when not in use and to which it can be swiftly with¬ 
drawn for moistening when it is in use. So we see why 
the snake, when awake, is almost constantly darting out 
his tongue and as quickly drawing it in again. 
The scales that cover the snake’s body are also worthy 
of careful study. In some snakes they are smooth and 
