150 BRITISH SERPENTS. 
evus will be beautifully seen at this stage, and should 
fete) 
be noticed before cutting out the ees hy dividing the 
oviduct on the distal side of each heature. This done, 
the two oviduets full of eggs can be lifted out bodily 
on toa dish. When lifting out observe which is the 
right and which the left oviduct, as the number of 
egos frequently differs on the two sides. If the 
dissection has been carefully done and nothing torn, 
the eggs on the dish will appear as shown in the 
Ulustration opposite, which is one'of the series of 
dissections T made in investigating this question of 
the number of young. 
Result of series of dissections.— During the 
months of July and August in 1899 and 1900 T made 
25 dissections of gravid female adders in the manner 
just described. The average number of young in that 
series works out at 15. I freely admit that a series 
of 230 dissections, instead of 25, might give a slightly 
different result, but should not anticipate any great 
divergence from the average given, The fewest found 
was In a specimen which contained 7, and the greatest 
number was 20, also in only one specimen. One or 
two contained 8 or 9, but the great majority were 10, 
Td, 12, 13,14, or 15. IT have found-it ‘the exception 
for an adder to contain more than 15 young or less 
than 10, and can hardly credit that as many as 40 
could be carried to full time for reasons stated later, 
My conclusion may be subject to modification after a 
larger series of dissections ; but it is not a hasty esti- 
