BRITISH REPTILES 103 
a furious reptile that one has almost trodden on, time 
will be gained for the young ones to go somewhere. 
The enraged mother has been killed ; but although, to 
all appearance, her offspring seemed to go down her 
throat, not one was found there when she was ex- 
amined. 
Now the question is, do the young ones glide 
beneath her, and hide at once in the surroundings ? 
Any small cracks in the sunburnt soil would be 
sufficient for that purpose ; this I think may be the 
case. 
The young of vipers come into the world alive ; 
and although at that time they are incapable of doing 
harm, they will if you meet with them coil and strike 
like the adults ; a decided case of hereditary spiteful- 
ness on their part. No viper can strike more than 
half its own length. The creatures are very useful 
in their own domain, the wilds ; they were, doubtless, 
created for use in these. 
There is as much difference just before they cast 
their old skins, and after they come out in their new 
ones, as there is in a man who exchanges shabby 
clothes for new ones. So very great is the difference, 
that the people give different names to the same 
creature. Great numbers are killed every year for 
the sake of their fat, with which the rustics make 
