THE ADDER. 187 



interest you to know that a year ago my late 

 husband, Major J. M. Browne, was walking near The 

 Wood, and he had in his hand a pitchfork with which 

 he intended to remove some fagots. He caught sight 

 of a group of adders, male, female, and a number of 

 young ones. He made for them with the fork at once 

 and disabled one. During this time the other old one 

 was getting off, and the young ones had all disappeared, 

 but he was in time to kill her. On smashing her with 

 the fork, a number of young ones were inside her 

 — I almost think he said thirteen." — (Mrs) Adelaide 

 Clarence Browne, Hall Court, Bishopst'rome, Worcester, 

 July 10, 1900. 



Letter 6. — " What I am about to describe happened 

 certainly over thirty years ago, when I was quite a 

 lad. The place was at Brockley Mount, on the estate 

 of the late Sir E. Rycroft, near Sevenoaks, a place 

 where many adders are found in hot seasons. The 

 number of young was, I believe, nine ; size about 6 to 

 6h inches long, J inch in diameter. The adder was 

 killed by a man named Pankhurst (I believe), long 

 since passed away. The young ones were also killed as 

 they were taken from the mother. I do not remember 

 further details, as I was not particularly interested at 

 the time, besides which, I had from my earliest child- 

 hood been taught the fact of the adder-mother swallow- 

 ing her young under certain conditions. I am, how- 

 ever, certain of what I saw at the time stated. 



