8 B. NATURAL HISTORY. 



ribbon-snake (Eutcenia saurita), about two feet long, accompa- 

 nied by two young ones of three or four inches ; on a hiss from 

 the parent they disappeared down its throat. The parent was killed 

 and two ran out of the mouth, while a third was found alive in the 

 body. Dr. Edward Palmer, a well known traveller and collector, 

 assures me that when in Paraguay with the " Waterwitch" expedi- 

 tion, he saw seven young rattlesnakes (Caudisona terrifica) run 

 into their parent's mouth. After it was killed they all ran out. 

 These snakes, parent and brood, are preserved in the U. S. 

 National Museum, Washington. 



Rev. Chauncey L. Loomis, M.D., of Middletown, Conn., a keen 

 and enthusiastic observer, saw a black snake {Coluber Alleghanien- 

 sis?) open its mouth, allow seven young ones to enter and then 

 glide away. 



D. L. Phares, M.D., of Woodville, Miss., writes: — "A few 

 years ago a gentleman, directing some hands at work on my lawn, 

 heard a low, blowing noise, and on looking saw a large water 

 moccason ( Toxicopliis piscivorus, I believe) and a large number of 

 young hurrying to her head and disappearing so rapidly that he 

 first thought they ran under her. He soon discovered that they 

 went into her slightly opened mouth, which was held close to the 

 ground till they had all entered. She then attempted to escape, 

 but was cut in two with a hoe. We took from her a large number 

 of young, eight or ten inches long." 



I might take from Mr. Cooke's work several statements equally 

 to the point. I quote from the " Zoologist" a note concerning the 

 seal}' lizard (Zootoca vivipara), which has an important bearing 

 upon the question. Says the editor, Mr. Newman: — "My late 

 lamented friend, William Christy, Jr., found a fine specimen of 

 the common scaly lizard with two j'oung ones ; taking an interest 

 in ever}'thing relating to natural history, he put them into a small 

 pocket vasculum to bring home, but when he next opened the vas- 

 culum the young ones had disappeared, and the belly of the parent 

 was greatly distended ; he concluded she had devoured her own 

 offspring. At night the vasculum was laid on a table and the 

 lizard was therefore at rest ; in the morning the young ones had 

 reappeared and the mother was as lean as at first."* 



Mr. Putnam has kindly put into my hands a note from Thomas 

 Meehan, of Philadelphia, containing strong affirmative testimony 



* "The Zoologist," p. 2269. 

 (181) 



