Venoms; venomous animals and antivenomous serum-therapeutics . he Mediterraneanin the vicinity of Nice and Toulon ; M. moringa (fig. 120) is foundin the Tropical Atlantic. The species of MurcBna live in deep water, and feed upon fishes orcrustaceans, , In hot countries they frequently venture into freshwater. Their skins are adorned with brightly coloured markings,which vary very greatly according to the species. The poison-apparatus in Murcena consists of a pouch situated 310 VENOMS above the membrane of the palate, which may contain | venom, and three or four conical, curved teeth, wi
Venoms; venomous animals and antivenomous serum-therapeutics . he Mediterraneanin the vicinity of Nice and Toulon ; M. moringa (fig. 120) is foundin the Tropical Atlantic. The species of MurcBna live in deep water, and feed upon fishes orcrustaceans, , In hot countries they frequently venture into freshwater. Their skins are adorned with brightly coloured markings,which vary very greatly according to the species. The poison-apparatus in Murcena consists of a pouch situated 310 VENOMS above the membrane of the palate, which may contain | venom, and three or four conical, curved teeth, with the convexsurface in front, as in the fangs of snakes. The teeth are notpierced by a central canal, and the venom flows between them andthe mucous membrane of the palate, which forms a sheath. Thelatter is withdrawn to the base of the teeth, while they are pene-trating the tissues. The teeth are mobile; they are articulatedwith the palatine bone, in which they are inserted in small depres-sions, and a resistant fibrous tissue serves as the means of -2j ^-v^f^\^ v 1 ^^\_c ? Fig. 120.—Murcena moringa (Tropical Atlantic). (After Savtschenko.) They can be deflexed backwards against the mucous membrane ofthe palate; in this position the first, second and fourth tooth (whenthe latter exists) disappear completely between the folds of themembrane. The third tooth normally remains erect, and it is thisby which wounds must in most cases be inflicted. None of theseteeth can be protruded beyond the vertical. In addition to the palatine teeth there are, among the groups ofmaxillary teeth, several mobile teeth, which are connected with thepoison-reservoir. Besides its toxic action the venom of MurcEiia has manifestdigestive properties, and, in the case of a fish which has been dead forsome little time the gland is no longer to be found, since its wallshave undergone a rapid autodigestion. VENOMS IN THE ANIMAL SERIES 311 The venoms of all the fishes of which I have just given a b
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