The Natural History of Se I borne 79 



rudiments of young. Though they are oviparous, yet they 

 are viviparous also, hatching their young within their bellies, 

 and then bringing them forth. Whereas snakes x 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 opossum does her brood 

 into the pouch under her belly, upon the like emergencies ; 

 and yet the London viper-catchers insist on it, to Mr. Bar- 

 rington, that no such thing ever happens. 2 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 (Coluber natrix) delights much to 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 lacerti, of which Ray enumerates five. 

 I have not had opportunity of ascertaining these; but re- 

 member well to have seen, formerly, several beautiful green 

 lacerti on the sunny sand-banks near Farnham, in Surrey; 

 and Ray admits there are such in Ireland. 



1 That is to say, ring-snakes, as opposed to vipers. ED. 2 This 



question is not even now absolutely settled, though I do not doubt the 

 story is a pure mediaeval superstition. ED. 



