i895"96-] Popular Delusions in Natural History. 173 



last year in the sporting papers, such as the ' Field ' and ' Eod 

 and Gun/ and also in ' Natural Science.' Mr Tootal Broad- 

 hurst of Terregles, Dumfries, has also issued a pamphlet con- 

 taining a large number of reprints of letters addressed to these 

 papers, written during the past two or three years by people 

 who emphatically declare that they have witnessed the oc- 

 currence. Of these Mr Broadhurst is himself one, and he 

 reprints a letter written by himself to the editor of ' Bod and 

 Gun' (June 17, 1890), which we may quote: — 



Sir, — When shooting on the High Moor at Springkell, Dumfriesshire, 

 some years ago, I came upon a viper hasking in the sun with her young 

 ones, I think six or seven in number. As they were not disturbed at my 

 approach, I watched them for some little time and called my keeper to 

 see them. They were disturbed by my calling to the man, and I distinctly 

 saw all the young ones run to the old viper, enter her mouth, and entirely 

 disappear inside her. I was standing a very few yards — my impression 

 is, not further than three or four yards — away, and could see everything 

 clearly. I killed the old viper with a stick, and in doing so she burst, and 

 out of the burst came all the little vipers, which I also killed. The keeper 

 who was with me at the time is still in my service, and can confirm what 

 I have said. — H. Tootal Broadhurst. 



Then follows a whole host of letters, most of the writers 

 of which affirm in the most absolute and positive manner that 

 they have seen the young adders either going into or coming 

 out of the mouth of the parent, or both ; though one writer 

 guards himself by saying that " we both distinctly saw, or 

 believed we saw," some young ones go into the mouth of the 

 mother. 



Nevertheless, in spite of these absolute and positive asser- 

 tions made by people of whose truthfulness we cannot entertain 

 a doubt, men of science remain still sceptical. Why do we 

 not believe those good people when they tell us that they 

 have actually seen the young adders enter the mouth of the 

 old one ? Simply because, as in the case of the joint-snake, 

 the phenomenon is so contrary to experience — in other words, 

 so improbable — that we must have evidence of a much more 

 decisive character than the statements of non-scientific eye- 

 witnesses. No one has ever secured the snake with its young 

 after they had been swallowed, though rewards have been 

 offered by the ' Field ' as well as by Mr Tegetmeier to any 



