46 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



and then bringing them forth. 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 expe- 

 rienced. 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. 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 (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 an opportunity of 

 ascertaining these ; but remember well to have seen, 

 formerly, several beautiful green lacerti on the sunny 

 sandbanks near Farnham, in Surrey ; and Ray admits 

 there are such in Ireland. 



LETTER XVIII 



TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQUIRE 



Selborne, July 27, 1768. 



DEAR SIR, 



I RECEIVED your obliging and communicative letter of 

 June the 28th, while I was on a visit at a gentleman's 

 house, where I had neither books to turn to, nor leisure to 

 sit down, to return you an answer to many queries, which 

 I wanted to resolve in the best manner that I am able. 



