THE ADDER. 187 
interest you to know that a year ago my late 
husband, Major J. M. Browne, was walking near The 
Wood, and he bad in his hand a pitehfork with which 
he intended to remove some fagots. He caught sight 
of a group of adders, male, female, and @ nwmbcr of 
young ones. He made for them with the fork at once 
and disabled one. During this time the other old one 
was getting off, and the young ones had all disappeared, 
but he was in time to kill her. On smashing her with 
the fork, a number of young ones were inside her 
—I almost think he said ¢hirtcen.’—(Mys) Adelaide 
Clarence Browne, Hall Court, Bishopstrome, Worcester, 
July 10, 1900. 
Letter 6.—* What I am about to deseribe happened 
certainly over thirty years ago, when I was quite a 
lad. The place was at Brockley Mount, on the estate 
of the late Sir R. Rycroft, near Sevenoaks, a place 
where many adders are found in hot seasons. The 
number of youn 
g was, I believe, nine; size about 6 to 
64 inches long, £ inch in diameter. The adder was 
killed by a man named Pankhurst (I believe), long 
since passed away. The young ones were also killed as 
they were taken from the mother. I do not remember 
further details, as I was not particularly interested at 
the time, besides which, I had from my earliest child- 
hood been taught the fact of the adder-mother swallow- 
ing her young under certain conditions. Tam, how- 
ever, certain of what I saw at the time stated. 
