230 THE .VIVARIUM. 
the Bullhead, or Miller’s Thumb (Cottws gobio), or any species of 
stickleback, because of the spines with which these fish are 
armed. 
The eggs of the Ringed Snake are of the size of those of a 
blackbird, and are stuck together by means of some glutinous 
secretion ; they may be found in the situations already indicated, 
and can be hatched without difficulty by artificial means. The 
most convenient way of doing this is by placing them in an 
incubator. They can also be hatched in the simple contrivance 
which was suggested in a former article for incubating Lizards’ 
eggs. I have found a temperature of about 96deg. Fahr. is 
suitable for the incubation of Snakes’ eggs. It is not easy to say 
how long such eggs are in hatching, for much, of course, depends 
upon their condition when first placed in the incubator. If found 
as soon as deposited by the Snake, they should take from sixty to 
eighty days to hatch at the heat just mentioned. The eggs must 
not be kept too dry, or they will shrivel, nor so moist that they 
run the risk of being destroyed by fungus. I have bought eggs | 
nearly all of which produced young Snakes within forty-eight 
hours after they were placed in the incubator. 
The female Ringed Snake, which is larger than the male, has 
been known to incubate her own eggs, forming them, like the 
Python already spoken of, into a pyramid and covering them 
with her body. A keeper at the Zoological Gardens, Paris, 
showed the late Mr. Frank Buckland a Ringed Snake which had 
hatched her own eggs for three successive years. The Snake 
possessed by Dr. Stradling has already been alluded to. 
The young Snakes when just out of the eggs are very beautiful 
creatures, about 7in. and 8in. long, and much darker than their 
adult relatives. Their yellow collar is very bright and distinct. 
Sometimes a pretty variety is found among a batch of freshly 
hatched Snakes of this kind. These young Reptiles will feed 
upon frogs, garden worms, slugs, and occasionally even upon 
pieces of meat. They may also be reared by being fed artificially. 
They change their skins when from four to ten days old. As 
they are very active and small, their case must be carefully and 
well made or they will escape. I once lost, to my annoyance, a 
ereat many young Snakes through not closing a hole which I 
