220 



OPHIDIA. VIPERAD^. 



of parturition. Mr. Bell has examined several 

 in which the young appeared ready to be ex- 

 cluded, but has always found the investing 

 membrane entire, though so thin and soft as 

 to be torn by the slightest force. He gives a 

 figure of the young Viper in this state, the 

 membrane ha\dng been removed. It is coiled 

 up so closely as almost to appear like a solid 

 mass ; but no sooner is it emancipated, than it 

 assumes all the activity and virulence which 

 belong to the species. The membrane seems 

 to have been unobserved by White in the dis- 

 section which he thus records. " On August 

 4th, 1775, we surprised a large Viper, which 

 seemed very heavy and bloated, as it lay in the 

 grass, basking in the sun. When we came to 

 cut it up, we found the abdomen was crowded 

 with young, fifteen in number ; the shortest 

 of which measured full seven inches and were 



about the size of 

 -:-,srmm^^. full-grown earth- 



worms. This little 

 fry issued into the 

 ^^^ world with the true 

 ^ viper spirit about 

 them, shewing great 

 alertness as soon 

 as disengaged from 

 the belly of the 

 dam : they twisted and wriggled about, and set 

 themselves up, and gaped very wide when touched 

 with a stick, shewing manifest tokens of menace 

 and defiance, though as yet they had no man- 

 ner of fangs that we could find, even with the 

 help of our glasses." * 



YOUNG IN EGG. 



* n 



Natural History Selby," Lett. xxxi. (2nd Series.) 



