708 REPTILIA — HORNED VIPER. 



speed, but also the fertility, of this dangerous creature. They couple in 

 May, and are supposed to be about three months before they bring forth, and 

 have seldom above eleven eggs at a time. These are of the size of a black- 

 bird's egg, and chained together in the womb like a string of beads. Each 

 egg contains from one to four young ones ; so that the whole of a brood may 

 amount to about twenty or thirty. They continue in the womb till they 

 come to such perfection as to be able to burst from the shell ; and they are 

 said to creep from their confinement by their own efforts into the open air, 

 where they continue for several days without taking any food whatsoever. 

 When they are in danger, they retreat into the mouth of the mother. 



The viper is capable of supporting very long abstinence, it being known 

 that some have been kept in a box six months without food ; yet during the 

 whole time they did not abate of their vivacity. They feed only a small 

 part of the year, but never during their confinement ; for if mice, their fa- 

 vorite diet, should at that time be thrown into their box, though they will kill, 

 yet they will never eat them. "When at liberty, they remain torpid through- 

 out the winter ; yet, when confined, have never been observed to take their 

 annual repose. 



Vipers crawl slowly at all times, and in general only attack such smaller 

 animals as are their usual food. They never willingly assail man or the 

 larger animals, except when wounded, trampled on, or irritated, when they 

 become furious, and are apt to bite severely. From the firmer manner in 

 which their spine is articulated, they are unable to twist themselves round 

 so much as most other serpents. It is only the head that they can turn with 

 any considerable degree of agility ; owing to this circumstance, they are 

 easily taken. For this purpose, some persons use a forked stick, to fix the 

 viper by the neck ; and then, seizing it by the tail, throw it into a bag. 

 Others, holding down its head with the end of a stick, take it fast in the 

 left hand by the neck ; and while the animal makes ineffectual efforts to 

 defend itself, with its mouth wide open, cut out its poisonous fangs with a 

 pair of scissors or a knife ; the viper, after this, is incapable of doing injury, 

 and may be handled with perfect safety. The English viper-catchers have 

 the boldness to seize them suddenly by the neck, or even by the tail, with 

 their hands ; and holding them with a firm grasp, the animal is altogether 

 incapable of turning itself sufficiently to bite the hand that holds it fast. 



THE HORNED VIPER. 1 



The cerastes, or horned viper, which commonly grows to the length of 

 about a foot or fifteen inches, but sometimes more than two feet, is distin- 

 guished by a pair of horns or curved processes, situated above the eyes, and 



1 Vipera cerastes, Cuv. 



