. Outlines of zoology. Zoology. SNAKES. 579 of the epidermis have much coherence, and are periodically shed in a continuous slough. The scales on the head form large plates, and those on the ventral surface are transverse shields. There are no separate eyelids, but the thin trans- parent epidermis extends over the staring eyes. The nostrils lie near the tip of the head; there are no external ear open- ings. In many cases there are odoriferous glands near the cloacal aperture. The muscular system is very highly developed, and the hmbless serpent, Owen says, " can outclimb the monkey, outsw
. Outlines of zoology. Zoology. SNAKES. 579 of the epidermis have much coherence, and are periodically shed in a continuous slough. The scales on the head form large plates, and those on the ventral surface are transverse shields. There are no separate eyelids, but the thin trans- parent epidermis extends over the staring eyes. The nostrils lie near the tip of the head; there are no external ear open- ings. In many cases there are odoriferous glands near the cloacal aperture. The muscular system is very highly developed, and the hmbless serpent, Owen says, " can outclimb the monkey, outswim the fish, outleap the zebra, outwrestle the athlete, and crush the ; There are many remarkable peculiarities in the Fio. 199.—.Snake's head. (After NuuN.) rf?'., Poison fangs ; /'., sheath of fang ; I. tongue ; ?7., muscles ot tongue. The vertebrfe are very numerous, some pythons having four hundred ; they are proccelous, and are distinguishable only into a pre-caudal and caudal series. AH the pre-caudal vertebrae except the first—the atlas— have associated ribs, which are movably articulated and used as limbs in locomotion. In the caudal region, the transverse processes, which are elsewhere very small, take the place of ribs. The serpent " literally rows on the earth, with every scale for an oar; it bites the dust with the ridges of its ; On a perfectly smooth surface it can make no headway, but in normal conditions the edges of the anterior ventral scales are fixed against the roughnesses. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Thomson, J. Arthur (John Arthur), 1861-1933; Newbigin, Marion I. (Marion Isabel), 1869-1934; Smith, Preserved, 1880-1941. fmo. New York, D. Appleton & Co.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1895
