NOTE ON THE HABITS OF VIPERS. 119 



But this rule, though geueral, is not without exception. The males 

 of the genus Oasterosteus (Stickleback) build a nest, watch over 

 the eggs, take care that they shall have frequent supplies of fresh 

 water, and do not leave the young ones till they are able to take care 

 of themselves.* Several species of Toads and Erogs attach their eggs 

 to their bodies and so carry them about ; while the fishes of the genus 

 Bagrtis\ have a still more curious habit, for in this case the males 

 carry the eggs about in their mouth, and retain them there till the 

 yoimg obtain some size. It is supposed that the eggs are disgorged 

 when the fish is about to feed, and then are taken in again, because 

 in the mass of eggs, one or two belougiug to different species have oc- 

 casionally been Ibund, In the common Viper the young remain 

 with their mother some time after birth, and it has been frequently 

 asserted that on any alarm they run into her mouth for safety. 

 Though not altogether without analogy, this habit is so extraordi- 

 nary, that the statement has always been regarded with some suspi- 

 cion, and the question is summed up by Dr. Bell, as follows : — 



" Tliere are on record numerous statements, of various degrees of 

 " credibility, of the cm'ious fact that the female Viper allows her 

 " young ones to retreat into her stomach for safety, when alarmed by 

 " any sudden danger. These statements generally declare that the 

 " mother, on the occurrence of any such emergency, opens her mouth, 

 " and that the young immediately enter it, and pass into the sto- 

 " mach, where they remain protected until the danger be passed, or 

 " the Viper has gained a place of safety : it is added, in many cases, 

 " that, on killing tlie mother, the youug have been found within the 

 " stomach, and on being liberated, have at once resumed all their 

 " former activity. The question has been re-opened of late by the 

 " publication of several communications in a most respectable peri- 

 " odical, to which the reader is referred. J It will be observed, that 

 " with one exception, the writers have given their statements only on 

 " hearsay, and that in the one case which is given from personal ob- 

 " servation, the circumstance is stated to have occurred when the 

 " writer was a boy. The first impression made on the mind of one 

 " accustomed to compare evidence with probability, and to weigh 

 " the value of assertions by the rules of analogy, is, that the mis- 

 " take, if it be one, may have arisen from the viviparous character of 

 " the animal ; but the opinion is so general, the mass of evidence so 

 " considerable, and the details in many cases so minute, as scarcely 

 " to allow of the question being thus summarily disposed of; and in 

 " this state of doubt upon so interesting a subject, it is pei'haps 

 " better to await the results of direct experiments, which might be 

 " readily made in any locality where these reptiles abound." — Bell's 

 British Be^tiles, p. G9. 



• See Mr. Wariiigton's very interesting papers iu the Aiui. and Mag. of Nat. 

 Hist, for 1852 and 1855. 



•j- Wyman, American Journal, 1859. 



t See several Nos. of the Gardener's Chronicle, in April 1848, &c. 



