THE ADDER. 165 
abusive, and in a very few minutes were hardly on 
speaking terms. It is to be hoped that no such 
acrimonious feelings will be the result of this re- 
view of the question, but an honest endeavour made 
to re-think the whole subject in a serious and 
scientific manner, just as the student would ap- 
proach any other question of natural science which 
has two sides to it, and evidence to be weighed on 
both sides. To be content to say off-hand that one 
cannot believe such an absurd idea is a very un- 
scientific attitude to take up on this or any other 
debated point, especially when a moment’s thought 
is given to the innumerable facts in nature quite 
as curious. Nor is it to be expected that scientists 
and others should believe it simply because a cer- 
tain number of people say or think that they have 
seen the oecurrence. In the absence of certain kinds 
of proof, which will be mentioned presently, it is a 
question entirely of weighing evidence, and the ver- 
dict may be that the swallowing of the young is (1) 
true, (2) untrue, or, as they say in Scotland, (5) not 
proven, according to the way in which the evidence 
strikes the particular jury who have the case under 
consideration. 
This statement, then, being made, why is it not 
altovether accepted? What are the main reasons 
put forward as the objections to the probable truth 
of the statement? These objections may be stated 
as follows :— 
