. Birds of other lands, reptiles, fishes, jointed animals and lower forms;. Zoology; Birds; Reptiles; Fishes. 198 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD such an incident, receiving the poison-discharge in his eyes from one of these snakes, which, in his eagerness to dispatch it, lie had imprudently cornered, armed only with a sword. It was some days before the pain entirely abated and the sight regained its normal clearness. Australia, with its Black and Tigek-snakes and the Death-adder, possesses snakes as venomous as the cobra, which the first-named species approach in their capacity to inflate the
. Birds of other lands, reptiles, fishes, jointed animals and lower forms;. Zoology; Birds; Reptiles; Fishes. 198 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD such an incident, receiving the poison-discharge in his eyes from one of these snakes, which, in his eagerness to dispatch it, lie had imprudently cornered, armed only with a sword. It was some days before the pain entirely abated and the sight regained its normal clearness. Australia, with its Black and Tigek-snakes and the Death-adder, possesses snakes as venomous as the cobra, which the first-named species approach in their capacity to inflate their necks, though to a less degree. The Tasmanlan Black Sxake, as it glides swiftly, as though sailing, across open grass-land, with the midday sun scintillating on its 7-foot stretch of jet-black, highly polished scales, its head and expanded neck threateningly elevated some 18 inches above the ground, is certainly a most impressive sight. One ver\' distinct group of the front-fanged section \\'hich demands brief notice is that of the Sea-snakes. These are readily distinguished by their especial adaptation to a marine existence, their much-compressed, oar-like tails constituting powerful propelling organs. In contradistinction to the terrestrial snakes of the same group, the inferior scales, not being required for terrestrial locomotion, are little if any larger than the upper ones. All the species are highly venomous; they feed chiefly upon fish, and are distributed throughout the tropical seas. The larger species rarcl)' exceed 5 or 6 feet in length, and the majority are much smaller. Man\' species are noted fjr their conspicuous colouring, which most frequently takes the form of distinctly contrasting bands. All. Phola h J- II'' McLellan RATTLE-SNAKE T^e raclle-iTjake is pre-ermjient!f noted for its poii'er of fasc'naitng birds and the smaller mammals the members of this group are viviparous. The last and most highly specialised section of the Snake Tribe is that of the Vipe
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecad, booksubjectfishes, booksubjectzoology
