THE SMOOTH SNAKE. 59 



about twelve young, which are at first altogether 

 white." This latter point was definitely set at 

 rest by the fact of a snake of this species, caught in 

 the New Forest, giving birth to six young ones 

 whilst in confinement. Mr. Buckland gave a full 

 account, at the time, of the circumstances connected 

 with the history of this reptile progeny. " The old 

 mother snake is coiled rip in a graceful combination 

 of circles, her little family are nestled together on 

 her back ; they have twisted their tiny bodies 

 together into a shape somewhat resembling a double 

 figure of 8? an d there they lie basking at their ease 

 in the mid-day sun. The old mother is vibrating 

 her forked tongue at me ; the little ones are imitat- 

 ing their mother's action, and are vibrating their 

 tiny tongues also ; the mamma's head is most 

 beautifully iridescent in the sun, and her babies are 

 in this respect nearly as pretty as their mother. 

 They are about five inches long, about as thick as a 

 small goose-quill, and smoother than the finest 

 velvet. Their eyes are like their mother's, their 

 tails are unlike their mother's ; she has lost the tip 

 of her tail — her young ones have not, they are 

 tapered off to a point as sharp as a pin. Their 

 skins are of a brownish-black colour, and marked 

 like their mother's, only that these markings are 

 not yet well developed. The scales on the under 

 parts of their bodies are of a beautiful pale glitter- 



