The Zoologist— May, 1870. 2145 



Something about the Viper. — On the 7th of April, when in Maidstone Wood, in the 

 parish of Egg Buckland, about four miles from Plymouth, T found to my surprise a 

 young viper at rest on sorae dead leaves, &c.: I should not have supposed younjf 

 ones would have been produced so early in the year as this. I killed it, and, as I had 

 my botanical vasculura with me, brought home the body in it, and on measuring: it 

 found it only just exceeded seven inches in length. The habits of some of our British 

 Reptilia seem so little known, notwithstanding the list is so meagre, and, as regards the 

 viper, so much has been said about the retreating of its young when alarmed through 

 the dam's mouth into her stomach, thai the simple fact of my finding a young one at 

 the dale given seems to me worthy of notice, especially as the length of this Utile 

 creature, albeit it was at large in the world, was only that of the shortest of a young 

 brood extracted by Gilbert White from the body of an old one, killed in the month of 

 August. I quote his account of the circumstance: — "On August 4ih, 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 wilh 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 them- 

 selves up, and gaped very wide, when touched with a stick, showing manifest tokens 

 of menace and defiance, though as yet they had no manner of fangs that we could 

 find, even wiih the help of our glasses. There was little room to suppose that this 

 brood had ever been iu the air before, and .that they were taken in for refuge at the 

 mouth of the dam, when she perceived that danger was approaching; because then, 

 probably, we should have found them somewhere in the neck, and not in the abdomen.'' 

 (Nat. Hist. Selborne, Let. Ixxiii). In reference to the above, Jesse, in his edition of 

 White's Selborne, adds the following note: — "The very circumstance which Mr. 

 White mentions, of the young vipers being fully seven inches in length, proves that 

 they had been in the open air before, as they have been known to leave the stomach 

 of the dam when they have been from one to two inches in length. From various 

 facts communicated to me by viper-calchers and others, I can have no doubt but that 

 the young vipers, when alarmed, take refuge in the inside of the parent, who extends 

 her moulh for the purpose." I will now take my leave of the viper by respectfully 

 proposing three queries to the readers of the ' Zoologist.' At what time of the year are 

 young vipers generally produced ? How many broods are there in a season ? What 

 is the average size of the young when brought forth ? — T. R. Archer Briggs; 4, Port- 

 land Villas, Pit/mouth, April 19, 1870. 



Proceedings of the Entomological Society. 



March T, 1870.— F. P. Pascok, Esq., V.-P., in the chair. 



Donations to the Library. 

 The following donations were announced, and thanks voted to the donors : — 

 * Berhner Entomologische Zeitschrift,' 1869, parts 3, 4 ; presented by the 



SECONP SERIES — VOL. V. 2 C 



