18 THE LAND-MARKS OF 



falls directly into the mouth of the serpent, which 

 is very strange."* 



rr»pagation. Dr. Nicholson tells us that the young of snakes 

 are produced once a year; the period between 

 the impregnation of the female and the birth 

 of her young is uncertain, but it would appear 

 to be from four to five months. In the majority 

 of snakes the eggs are exuded after about 

 three months' gestation, the development of the 

 embryo taking place ia the period between 

 laying and hatching; most snakes are, therefore, 

 oviparous. Some of them retain the eggs until 

 maturity more or less perfect. Originally all 

 venomous snakes were called vipers, under the 



* Scarcely more strange than that which follows. 

 Pepys continues — "He is a great traveller, and speaking 

 of the tarantula, he says that all the harvest long (about 

 which times they are most busy,) there are fiddlers go 

 up and down the fields everywhere, in expectation of 

 being hired by those that are stung." Many marvellous 

 stories are told by "great travellers." It would appear 

 "that travelling" not only expands the mind, but also 

 the imagination, or possibly the gullibility of the traveller. 

 Chateaubriand, another great traveller, says of a certain 

 snake — which by the way ia perfectly innocent — "He 

 hisses like a mountain eagle and bellows like a bull!" Du 

 Chaillu tells stories that almost take one's breath away. 



