1 76 Popular Delusions in Natural History. [Sess. 



he dishes up this chain of assumptions as evidence that the 

 popular belief as to snakes swallowing their young is true ! 



That the young snakes disclosed in the body of the parent 

 by Dr Harley's pocket-knife were contained in the oviduct is 

 by far the most probable explanation of his finding them, and 

 consequently, instead of having been swallowed, they had, in 

 fact, never been born ! For it must be noted that the adder 

 does not, like the harmless ringed-snake, lay eggs, but brings 

 forth its young alive, and I am certainly inclined to believe 

 that the origin of the whole myth is to be found in the escape 

 of young adders from the bodies of pregnant females when 

 beaten or burst open by blows of sticks. Begarding this, 

 Bell remarks in his 'History of British Eeptiles ' : " If a 

 female viper about to bring forth her young be killed, and the 

 young ones set at liberty by opening the abdomen, they will 

 immediately crawl about, and on being irritated will throw 

 themselves into attitudes of defence." And as regards the 

 repeated assertions of those who declare that they have seen 

 the swallowing process taking place, I fear we must remain 

 sceptics until reliable scientific proof has been obtained of 

 the fact, even in spite of the vigorous protests of gentlemen 

 like Mr St Croix Eose, who indignantly declare that the 

 evidence of their eyes is " somewhat stronger than the opinion 

 of all the scientists in the world who may allege that it is 

 improbable or impossible because it has not been proved 

 anatomically." 



Before leaving the subject of Eeptiles some might expect that 

 I should enter into the question of the " great sea serpent." 

 This is, however, a subject of much too great extent to discuss 

 on the present occasion, and, moreover, I hardly think that 

 its consideration is included in the scope of the present com- 

 munication, and I must content myself with briefly expres- 

 sing my own private feelings about the matter. An eminent 

 naturalist is reported to have said that if some one told 

 him that a centaur had been seen walking along Piccadilly, 

 he would not believe it until he himself saw the said centaur 

 lying on the dissecting-table ready for anatomical examination. 

 So in like manner, in spite of all the assertions, affirmations, 

 affidavits, and declarations of fishermen, seamen, naval officers, 

 and others who maintain that they have seen this sea serpent, 



