DO SNAKES REFUGE THEIR YOUNG 2 497 



snake that was known to have a nest close by; and on each 

 occasion when alarmed, the young ran into the parent's 

 mouth. 



Mr. Putnam also mentioned a ' striped snake ' (which he had 

 considered ovoviviparous) bringing forth live young ones at 

 the end of August; she 'having been a long while in confine- 

 ment.' (This was no doubt a case of retarded functions.) 



In vol. iii. of the American Naturalist, 1870, an 

 interesting record of the 'blowing snake' {Heterodon 

 platyrhiiios) appears. One of these snakes had been wounded 

 in her side, and over one hundred young ones from 6 to 8 inches 

 long came forth from the wound. They were all active, all 

 blowing and flattening their bodies like thoroughly wide- 

 awake Heterodons. Sixty-three of them being uninjured 

 died in alcohol, thirteen were much lacerated, as was the 

 mother, and the rest escaped. Says the narrator, * We know 

 that this snake is oviparous. Had she swallowed them, or 

 can she be also ovoviviparous.'" (Well, she might be either 

 or both as occasion demanded !) This is one of those 

 examples which m.ight have given rise to the supposition 

 handed down by Aristotle, and explained p. 431. 



One hundred snakelings from 6 to 8 inches long seems 



almost incredible from the space they would occupy. Yet 



in bulk they would not be more than one large snake which 



the mother could easily swallow. The accommodating ribs 



render such habits more feasible than at first sight would 



appear. Heterodon platyrJiinos is a wonderfully prolific 



snake. In the Zoological Society Proceedings, vol. vi. 1869, 



S. S. Ruthven states that he has observed it to bring forth 



over one hundred live young at a time. 



2 I 



