42 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



is perfectly innocuous. A neighbouring yeoman (to whom I am 

 indebted for some good hints) killed and opened a female viper 

 about the twenty-seventh 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 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 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. Harrington, 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, 1 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 



1 [The following fourteen species of reptiles and amphibians are now known as 

 British ; those marked " S " have been found at Selborne. 



Reptiles. 



Common snake ( Tropidonotus natrix, L. ), S. 

 Smooth snake (Coronella Icevis, Lac6p.). 

 Viper ( Viper berus, L.), S. 

 Common lizard (Lacerta vivipara^ Jacq. ), S. 

 Sand lizard (L. agilis, L.). 

 Green lizard (L. viridis, L.). 

 Slowworm (Anguis fragilis, L. ), S. 



Amphibians. 



Great crested newt (Triton cristatus, Laur.), S. 

 Smooth newt (T. taeniatus, Schn.), S. 

 Palmated newt (T palmipes, Latr.), S. 

 Common toad (Bafo vulgaris, Laur.), S. 

 Natterjack (B. calamita, Laur.), S. 

 Common frog (Rana temporaria, L.), S. 

 Edible frog (R. esculenta, L.).] 



