For the Children.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2366, 5 December 1908, Page 9 (Supplement)

For the Children.

THE GREAT SNAKE FAMILY.

AVHAT THIS STORY TELLS US. Solomon confessed that, one ol tlie things that he could not understand was the serpent. Some tilings which Solomon did not know, men of later times have learned, but the mystery of the snake stilil remains. Those snakes that are poisonous can, in a few minutes, kill a man or a horse, or almost any other Jiving creuture. AYe can cure a man who has been riddled with bullets, or who <ha s had the most serious illness, but one sharp bite from u, poisonous scrjicnt serves to defeat the skill of the cleverest doctors. r J.ihero *aro nearly 2,000 different sorts of snakes, but in his story it will be sufficient to divide them into two classes —those that kill by poisoning, and those that kill by crushing. Of the poisonous ones, the worst -arc tho cobras and the vipers. Each of these mn cause death. Hero we read about tlio habits of many or these terrible reptiles, of tlie places in which,they live, of the food they eat, and of tlie way in which they

do 'their deadly work. . The serpent does not sting. Bees and wasps and scorpions sting. The poisonous snake bites, and the poison is squirted through holes in its fangs into the wound with these langs cause. Snakes do not eat oxen and other animals of that huge size. When moving along th G ground they do not move in arched curves as mnny of the school-books show. They glide along flat on the ground, but with the body curving in zigzags, like a twisted arrow.

The snake’s spinal column is made up of a long chain of bones, which fit into each other on the ball-and-soc-ket plan. Ribs join on to these bones, and work, of course, as the various parts of the backbone worn. There may be as many as 300 to 400 bones in the backbone of the big snake, and ribs for nearly all of them. Now, these bones move with wonderful case and suppleness, but they can move only from side to side. If the backbone could twist in all directions, there would be no safety for the spinal column of the snake. The snake can twist from left to right, and it cun raise the front portion of its body, not easily, but surely, into an upright position. How does the snake move? Every pair of ribs acts as a sort of foot. The whole of the snake’s body forms one long foot. Each pair of ribs joins on to a strong scale under the body of the snake, and controls it by a slender but strong muscle. It is on the ends of these ribs, hidden though they are. .that the serpent rests. ' When it wishes to go forward, it moves its ribs in such a way that they cause its scales to stick to rough ground, or the bark of a tree. It rows along the ground, the rib-points making the scales act as oars. Therefore, it must have a rough surface upon which to travel. Oil smooth ice* or glass the biggest snake would be helpless. The most wonderful feat of the snake is surely iis tree-climbing. It goes up a great tree-trunk just as if it had feet. Some snakes have the remnants of feet, like little spurs. Others possess in their bodies the remnants of bones which once belonged to limbs for walking. But, though the spur-like -limbs may help the snake which has them, most of the reptiles depend for their climbing only upon the action of their ribs. They rob nests of eggs and eat- the birds. They hang head downwards to snap any young deer or dog tlmt may pass. A venomous snake will not hesitate to kill a human being. Those faithful natives who carv.-cd the dead body of Dr Livingstc-ne down to- the coast, at Zanzibar, had in the party a little native girl named Losi. AYliile she was carrying water one of these fearful snakes clashed at- her, struck her on tho leg jmd caused a bad wound. In ten minutes the poor little girl was dead. The party stopped there and buried her; then went sadly on their way.

A day or two later they were overtaken by an Arab, who told them that, while passing the same spot with another party, one of his friends hail been struck bv what they believed to be the same snake. The man thus attacked died almost at once. While his comrades were looking out for a place in which to bury him, they found the freslily-made grave of little Losi, *and they buried the" man beside her.

THE SNAKE AS LONG AS SIN MEN, WHICH HIDES IN THE BRANCHES OF TREES.

There are many kinds of tree-climb-ing snakes. The giant boa-constric-tors and pythons are expert climbers. The python is supposed to be the biggest of all snakes, but it is not. Imbiggest is a member of the fainßy called the anaconda, a fearful creature, chiefly found in Brazil and Peru.

We have a specimen of it in the British Museum, measuring 29 feet, but full-grown anacondas " reach a (length of 33 feet, and some arc sa id to measure 40 feet or more. These grants climb trees. More frequently they are to bo found in rivers, or lurking in still pools, resting on rocks, looking like fallen trees, bub eagerly awaiting their prey. Out of the water they are not so agile as most snakes, -but in the trees t-hev are active and deadly*. Big ones are said to seize human beings/ It is carious that -the snakes which have most land best teeth do not kill by biting, while those which have fewest teeth do kill by biting. The boas an-cl pythons kill by winding themselves in dreadful folds round their victims. The cobras and. vipers kill by a bite, which opens the way lor t-’ho -injection of the .horriblo poison. How can the cobrh- so quick!v kill its victim ?

First of all it must -approach. It (has keen sense of smell, which enables it to detect, the presence of an enemy. Next, it has the power of rapid movement, and of making a tremendous blow with its head. Its aim is sure; its bite certain. When about to. strike, it -raises its head, and inflates a curious hood at the back. Its tongue shoots forth from an opening in its -upper lip, through which it issues from a protecting tube in the mouth. The tongue is forked at the end, and shoots in and out, quivering and darting in the- most threatening way. The tongue is supposed to- he the serpent’s sting; but it is nothing of the sort. If it serves any part in the attack, it is simply to alarm the victim, .and -render liim less able to defend himself.

. (Tq 1?© continued)