The Scimitar Snake

There is a little repule belon-mg in Madag-ascar known as the scimitar snake - that is, the sword. Kunning along the back from head to tail is a blackish, horny substance, which bends with the convolutions of the .snake's body as rcadily ftS would a well-tempered steel spring-, and throug-hout its entire leng-th it bears au edge as hard as Sint and sharp as a razor. 'l hey are not poisonous, but when one of them springs on a man, which he is very likely to do, he will soon have a oiï unless cracked on the pate. Some snake specialists claim that the presence of this reptile on the island is the resson that there are no larue quadrupeds to be found there at present, the curling sword in back ages having taken ofl lega faster tiian they could be created.