176 



CHAPTER XIII. 



THE ADDER— Continued. 



STATEMENTS BY CORRESPONDENTS ON THE SWALLOWING 

 OF THE YOUNG BY THE MOTHER. 



Having how discussed the theoretical side of the 

 adder-swallowing question, and come to the conclu- 

 sion that anatomically and physiologically there is 

 nothing impossible in the belief, it is of interest to 

 see what practical men have to say on the matter. I 

 have a large mass of correspondence in my possession 

 on the point, all of which is most interesting, and 

 from which all the following extracts are made. No 

 comment is made on the letters as they are quoted, 

 as it is difficult to do so without appearing, however 

 unintentionally, to doubt the good faith of some of 

 the writers, in some cases at all events. They should 

 be judged in the light of what has been already learnt 

 about the habits and structure of the adder, and espe- 

 cially in connection with the arguments considered in 

 the last chapter. 



