SNAKE, in zoology. See ANGUIS.
Method of Preserving SNAKES. When the snake is killed, it must first be washed clean, and freed from all filth and nastiness; then it is to be put into a glass of a proper size, the tail first, and afterwards the rest of the body, winding it in spiral ascending circles, and disposing the back, which is always the most beautiful, outwardly. A thread, connected to a small glass bead, is, by the help of a needle, to be passed thro' the upper jaw from within outwardly, and then thro' the cork of the bottle, where it must be fastened; by this means the head will be drawn into a natural posture, and the mouth kept open by the bead, whereby the teeth, &c. will be discovered: the glass is then to be filled with rum, and the cork sealed down to prevent its exhalation. A label, containing the name and properties of the snake, is then to be affixed to the wax over the cork; and in this manner the snake will make a beautiful appearance, and may be thus preserved a great number of years; nor will the spirits impair or change the lustre of its colours.