Snakes: curiosities and wonders of serpent life . Front and back view of a vertebra. Bearing in mind that each of these highly complicatedjoints supports a pair of moveable ribs, and that the endsof these ribs are connected by muscles with the large stiffscutes or scales crossing the under surface of the body (seeillustrations, p. 193), which move with the ribs, one foot-like scale to each pair, we comprehend how snakes exceedmillipedes in the number of their limbs, if not true legs,and how they excel the insect also in variety of ball and socket joints admit of free lateral fle
Snakes: curiosities and wonders of serpent life . Front and back view of a vertebra. Bearing in mind that each of these highly complicatedjoints supports a pair of moveable ribs, and that the endsof these ribs are connected by muscles with the large stiffscutes or scales crossing the under surface of the body (seeillustrations, p. 193), which move with the ribs, one foot-like scale to each pair, we comprehend how snakes exceedmillipedes in the number of their limbs, if not true legs,and how they excel the insect also in variety of ball and socket joints admit of free lateral flexion,and every variety of curvature — the utmost pliancy ofmotion^ to repeat the words of Rymer Jones; and also ofthat surprisingly independent motion which enables theconstrictors to surpass even the Bimana (except practisedexperts) in doing several things at once. Thoughtful persons who can contemplate this wondrous OPHIDIAN A CR OB A TS. 213 organization with due reverence, and witness it in activity—as we admiringly observe the works of
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectserpents, bookyear188
