Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 53153-h.htm or 53153-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/53153/53153-h/53153-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/53153/53153-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries. See https://archive.org/details/snakescuriositie00hopl Transcriber’s note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). A carat character is used to denote superscription. A single character following the carat is superscripted (example: 25^e). Multiple superscripted characters are enclosed by curly brackets (example: 2^{me}). SNAKES: Curiosities and Wonders of Serpent Life. Morrison & Gibb, Edinburgh, Printers to Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. [Illustration: Hamadryad, _Ophiophagus bungarus_. _Echis carinata._ Cobra, _Naja tripudians_. Reticulated Python, _Python reticulatus_. Rat Snake, _Ptyas mucosus_. _Amphisbæna._ SOME OPHIDIANS AT HOME. INDIA.] SNAKES: Curiosities and Wonders of Serpent Life_. by CATHERINE C. HOPLEY, Author of ‘Sketches of the Ophidians,’ ‘Life in the South,’ ‘Rambles and Adventures in the Wilds of the West,’ etc. etc. ‘These lithe and elegant Beings.’—RYMER JONES. ‘Can outswim the Fish and outclimb the Monkey.’—OWEN. [Illustration] Griffith and Farran, Successors to Newbery and Harris, West Corner of St. Paul’s Churchyard, London. E. P. Dutton & Co., New York. 1882. The Rights of Translation and of Reproduction are reserved. _TO MY MUCH HONOURED AND ESTEEMED FRIEND_, Professor Richard Owen, F.R.S., _WHO HAS GRACIOUSLY ENCOURAGED THE STUDIES OUT OF WHICH IT CAME; AND WHOSE CORDIAL SYMPATHY AND REGARD, WITH FRANKEST RECOGNITION OF HIS DEEP DEVOTION TO HIS ART, GAVE ONE OF ITS FEW GREAT PLEASURES TO THE SHORT LIFE OF A DEAR BROTHER OF MINE, THIS BOOK IS HUMBLY DEDICATED, WITH GRATEFUL RECOLLECTIONS OF THE PAST_. [Illustration] CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. SEEING A SNAKE FEED, 27 II. SNAKES OF FICTION AND OF FACT, 41 III. OPHIDIAN TASTE FOR BIRDS’ EGGS, 59 IV. DO SNAKES DRINK? 75 V. THE TONGUE OF A SNAKE—PART I. WHAT IT IS ‘NOT,’ 94 VI. THE TONGUE OF A SNAKE—PART II. WHAT IT ‘IS,’ 107