. The Cambridge natural history. Zoology. 5! OPHIDIA wall of the poison-gland; the anterior and posterior ends of the gland are held by another strong band, which stretches from the maxilla to the mandibular joint. The whole is so arranged that the acts of opening the jaws (by the digastric muscles) and the erection of the fang-bearing maxillaries are enough to mechanically squeeze the contents out of the poison-gland. A. Fig. 154. — Explanation of the biting mechanism of a rattlesnake. la and lb, position of the apparatus when the mouth is shut. Ila and lib, position of the apparatus when the
. The Cambridge natural history. Zoology. 5! OPHIDIA wall of the poison-gland; the anterior and posterior ends of the gland are held by another strong band, which stretches from the maxilla to the mandibular joint. The whole is so arranged that the acts of opening the jaws (by the digastric muscles) and the erection of the fang-bearing maxillaries are enough to mechanically squeeze the contents out of the poison-gland. A. Fig. 154. — Explanation of the biting mechanism of a rattlesnake. la and lb, position of the apparatus when the mouth is shut. Ila and lib, position of the apparatus when the mouth is opened widely ; the spheno-pterygoid muscle () is contracted, the pterygoid (Pt) is pulled forwards, the transverse bone or ectopterygoid (Tr) pushes the maxillary {!/), rotates it and thereby causes the poison-fang (/) to assume an erect position. Di, Digastric muscle, contraction of which lowers, or opens, the lower jaw; G, the groove or pit characteristic of the Crotaline snakes ; J, poison-fang ; M, maxillary ; P, palatine ; , spheno-pterygoid muscle • Pin premaxiUary ; Pt, pterygoid ; Q, quadrate ; Sq, squamosal; , insertion of the anterior temporal muscle, by contraction of which the mouth is shut; cf. Fig 179 (p. 647); Tr, transversum or ectopterygoid ; X, origin and insertion' of'a muscle and a strong ligament, contraction of which draws the maxillary and its tooth back into the position of rest and assists in shutting the mouth. portion of the anterior temporal muscle is attached to the capsule of the poison-gland. An excellent account of the nature and of the effect of the venom of Snakes has been written by Charles J. Martin.^ The following condensed account has been abstracted from it: " The poison is a clear, pale yellow, or straw-coloured fluid, ' Clifford AUbutt's System of Medicine, vol. ii. London, 1896, p. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1895
