OF SELBORNE. 73 
small blow), I have found, on examination, that it 
is perfectly innocuous. Whereas snakes lay chains 
of eggs every summer in my melon-beds, in spite 
of all that my people can do to prevent them, 
which eggs do not hatch till the spring following, 
as I have often experienced. Several intelligent 
folks assure me that they have seen the viper open 
her mouth and admit her helpless young down her 
throat on sudden surprises, just as the female opos- 
sum does her brood into the pouch under her belly 
upon the like emergencies; and yet the London 
Viper-catchers insist on it, to Mr. Barrington, that 
no such thing ever happens. The serpent kind eat, 
I believe, but once in a year, or, rather, but only 
just at one season of the year. Country people 
talk much of a water-snake, but, I am pretty sure, 
without any reason; for the common snake (co/uber 
natrix) delights much te sport in the water, perhaps 
with a view to procure frogs and other food. 
I cannot well guess how you are to make out 
your twelve species of reptiles, unless it be by the 
various species, or rather varieties, of our dacerti, 
of which Ray enumerates five. 1 have not had op- 
portunity of ascertaining these, but remember well 
