320 en the viper. Oct. ■^i, 



farther in this line of disquisition, reserving what 

 farther might be said on this subject till another oc- 



casion. 



HINTS ON THE GENERATION OF THE VIPER, 



The following extracts respecting the natural history of the viper, have 

 been transmitted to the Editor by a correspondent to whom he lies 

 unJer very paiticular obligations for this and many iormer favours. 



Extracts from MrWhite^s^naturqlhistorfy o/Selborne, 

 publijbed 1789, relative to the wiper. 

 To Mr i Pennant, 



" Providekce has been so indulgent to us, as to 

 allow of but one venomous reptile of the s«rpent kind 

 in these kingdoms, and that is the viper. As you 

 propose the good of mankind, to be an object of your 

 publications, you will not omit to mention common 

 salad oil, as a sovereign remedy against the bite of 

 a viper. As to the blind worm, {anguis fragilis , so 

 called, because it snaps asunder with a small blow,) 

 I have found upon examination that it is perfectly 

 innocuous. A neighbouring yoeman (to whom I 

 am indebted for some good hints,) killed and opened 

 a female viper about the 27th of May : he found her 

 filled with a chain of eleven eggs, about the size of those 

 of a blackbird ; but none of them were advanced so 

 far towards a state of maturity, as to contain any ru- 

 diment of young. Though they are oviparous, they 

 are viviparous also, hatching their young within 

 their bellies, and then bringing them forth : where- 

 -as snakes lay chains of eggs every summer in my 



i 



