OF SELBORNE 205 



on the viscera, between them and the skin of the belly. 

 It was bulky, and stuffed hard with large phalxnse, moths 

 of several sorts, and their eggs, which no doubt had been 

 forced out of those insects by the action of swallowing. 



Now as it appears that this bird, which is so well 

 known to practise incubation, is formed in a similar 

 manner with cuckoos. Monsieur Herissant's conjecture, 

 that cuckoos are incapable of incubation from the 

 disposition of their intestines, seems to fall to the 

 ground : and we are still at a loss for the cause of that 

 strange and singular peculiarity in the instance of the 

 cuculus canoTus. 



We found the case to be the same with the ring-tail 

 hawk, in respect to formation ; and, as far as I can 

 recollect, with the swift ; and probably it is so with many 

 more sorts of birds that are not granivorous. 



I am, etc. 



LETTER XXXI 



Selbornb, April 29, 1776. 

 Dear Sir, 



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 fulJ 

 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 



