CHAPTER XIII. 
THE ADDER—Continued. 
STATEMENTS BY CORRESPONDENTS ON THE SWALLOWING 
OF THE YOUNG BY THE MOTHER. 
Havinc now discussed the theoretical side of the 
adder-swallowing question, and come to the conelu- 
sion that anatomically and physiologically there is 
nothing impossible in the belief, it is of interest to 
see what practical men have to say on the matter. I 
have a large mass of correspondence in my possession 
on the point, all of which is most interesting, and 
from which all the following extracts are made. No 
comment is made on the letters as they are quoted, 
as itis difficult to do so without appearing, however 
unintentionally, to doubt the good faith of some of 
the writers, in some cases at all events. They should 
be judged in the heht of what has been already learnt 
about the habits and structure of the adder, and espe- 
cially in connection with the arguments considered in 
the Jast chapter, 
