42 OUR REPTILES. 



day. It invariably took them in one position. Ele- 

 vating its head slowly above its victim, it would 

 suddenly seize the slug by the middle, in the same 

 way that a ferret or dog will generally take a rat by 

 the loins; it would then hold it thus sometimes for 

 more than a minute, when it would pass its prey 

 through its jaws, and swallow the slug, head foremost. 

 It refused the larger slugs, and would not touch either 

 young frogs or mice. Snakes kept in the same cage 

 took both frogs and mice. The Blindworm avoided 

 the water ; the snakes, on the contrary, coiled them- 

 selves in the pan containing the water which was 

 put into the cage, and appeared to delight in it. 

 The Blindworm was a remarkably fine one, measuring 

 fifteen inches in length. It cast its slough whilst 

 in my keeping. The skin came off in separate 

 pieces, the largest of which was two inches in length, 

 splitting first beneath, and the peeling from the 

 head being completed the last."* 



As will be seen on comparing this extract with 

 some of our own observations, it does not entirely ac- 

 cord in all its minor details. For instance, in its 

 food ; for, although it is not at first disposed to 

 eat in confinement, it becomes at length more 

 sociable, and will then eat earthworms as freely as 

 slugs. 



* Note to Whites '• Selborne," Bennett's edition, 



