234 THE VIPER. 



I can recollect, with the swift ; and probably it is 

 so with many more sorts of birds that are not 

 granivorous. 



XXXI. 



ON August the 4th, 1775, we surprised a large 

 viper, which seemed very heavy and bloated, as it 

 lay in the grass, basking in the sun. When we 

 came to cut it up, we found that the abdomen was 

 crowded with young, fifteen in number ; the shortest 

 of which measured full seven inches, and were 

 about the size of full-grown earth-worms. This 

 little fry issued into the world with the true viper 

 spirit about them, showing great alertness as soon 

 as disengaged from the belly of the dam : they 

 twisted and wriggled about, and set themselves 

 up, and gaped very wide when touched with a 

 stick, showing manifest tokens of menace and de- 

 fiance, though as yet they had no manner of fangs, 

 that we could find, even with the help of our 

 glasses. 



To a thinking mind, nothing is more wonderful 

 than that early instinct which impresses young 

 animals with the notion of the situation of their 

 natural weapons, and of using them properly in 

 their own defence, even before those weapons 

 subsist or are formed. Thus a young cock will 

 spar at his adversary before his spurs are grown ; 

 and a calf or lamb will push with their heads 

 before their horns are sprouted. In the same 

 manner did these young adders attempt to bite 

 before their fangs were in being. The dam, 

 however, was furnished with very formidable 

 ones, which we lifted up (for they fold down 

 when not used), and cut them off with the point 

 of our scissors. 



