78 The Natural History of Selborne 



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 

 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. Barrington, 

 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 remember 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. 



