ANACONDA AND ANGUIS FRAGILIS. 465 



journal, inviting both to inspect the interesting family. I 

 also sent a short account of the November brood to Land 

 and Water. Mr. Buckland was, I believe, absent from 

 town ; and my MS. (now before me) was returned from 

 Land and Water for * want of space.' 



Evidently the November brood were after all but sorry 

 little slow-worms, beneath the notice of scientific eyes, and 

 unduly endowed with imaginary importance in the estimation 

 of their enthusiastic guardian ! 



In my careful examination of the contents of the cage next 

 day, in order to ascertain the chance of yet other silvery shreds 

 of life, I observed a little dry, globular substance, which had 

 a somewhat suspicious look. It was firm to the touch, and 

 on breaking it, showed a veiny sort of conglomerate appear- 

 ance, as of layers or convolutions. Several of these hard, dry 

 masses I afterwards found, all on being broken presenting 

 a similar appearance. Then it suddenly occurred to me 

 that they must be dried-up eggs of the other slow-worm, 

 and that she must have deposited them some time previously. 

 The surface of sand was easily accounted for by the frequent 

 turning over and stirring up of the soft rubbish in the cage. 

 At first thinking only of Blackic, and being satisfied that 

 these singular little masses contained no life, I threw them 

 away ; when, too late, resolving to keep some and Investigate 

 their nature, only one more could be found ; but this one was 

 preserved in spirits of wine, together with two or three of the 

 tiny slow-worms. The female that conjecturally laid them 

 had frequently got out of the box and sustained many falls 

 to the floor ; which, even had other circumstances been 



propitious, might sufficiently account for the destruction of 



2 G 



