Ok the Question "Do Snakes Swallow their Young?" By G. 

 Brown Goode, of Washington, D. C. 



It has long been a popular belief that the young of certain 

 snakes seek temporary protection from danger by gliding down 

 the open throat of the parent. This has been doubted by many 

 naturalists, and the general disposition has been to class the belief 

 among the popular superstitions. This paper is intended to sum 

 up the evidence, which will show, it is hoped conclusively, that the 

 popular idea is sustained by facts. 



Allusions to this habit are found as early as the sixteenth cen- 

 tury. In the "Faerie Queene," Spenser describes Error in these 

 words : — 



" But full of fire and greedy hardiment 



The youthfull knight could not for ought be staide : 



But forth unto the darksom hole he went, 



And looked in : His glistring armor made 



A litle glooming light, much like a shade ; 



By which he saw the ugly monster plaine, 



Halfe like a serpent horribly displaide, 



But tli' other halfe did womans shape retaine, 



Most lothsom, fllthie, foule and full of vile disdaine. 



" And, as she lay upon the durtie ground, 

 Her huge long taile her den all overspred, 

 Yet was in knots and many boughtes upwound, 

 Pointed with mortall sting. Of her there bred 

 A thousand yong ones which she dayly fed, 

 Sucking upon her poisnous dugs; each one 

 Of sundrie shapes, yet all ill-favored : 

 Soone as that uncouth light upon them shone, 

 Into her mouth they crept, and suddain all were gone. 

 *********** 



" She poured forth out of her hellish sinlce 

 Her fruitful cursed spawn? of serpents small, 

 Deformed monsters, fowle and blacke as hike 

 Which swarming all about his legs did crall, 

 And him encombrd sore, but could not hurt at all. 

 *********** 



" Her scattred brood, soone as their parent deare 

 They saw so rudely falling to the ground, 

 Groningfull deadly all with troublous feare 

 Gathred themselves about her body round, 

 Weening their wonted entrance to have found 

 At her xoide mouth; but, being there withstood, 

 They flocked all about her bleeding wound, 

 And sucked up their dying mothers bloud 

 Making her death their life, and eke her hurt their good." 

 [" The Faerie Queene," 1590, Book 1,. Canto l,vv. 14, 15, 22 and 25.] 



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