depositing them in places of safety and remov- 

 ing them at the approach of danger. Equally 

 singular though not similar habits of protect- 

 in- the young are found in the well-known 

 \ Surinam'Toad, in the Kangaroo and Opossum, 

 I and in the Pipe-fis h and ms cousins. 



There is room for many interesting observa- 

 tions, especially to determine what species 

 afford their young this protection. About the 

 Garter-snake {Eutania sirialis) and the Ribbon- 

 snake {Eutania saurita), the Water-adder 

 {Tropidonotus sipedon), the Banded Rattlesnake 

 {Caudisona Jwrrida), the Copperhead {Ancistro- 

 don contortrix), the Moccasin {Ancistrodon pisci- 

 voi'us), and the Massasauga (Crotalus tergemi- 

 nus) there can be little doubt, and the habit 

 probably extends throughout the genera which 

 these species represent. The case of the Hog- 

 nosed-snake {Heterodon platy rhinos), sometimes 

 called the Blowing or Puffing Adder, needs 

 farther investigation, and so also that of the 

 Black-snakes. It seems more than likely that 

 the Racer or Mountain Black-snake {Coluber 

 AUeghaniensis),vflaich. is distinguished by a little 

 ridge or carination in the middle of each scale, 

 does thus protect its young, but it has not been 

 shown that this is the case with the common 

 smooth-scaled Black-snake {Bascanion constric- 

 tor). It is very desirable to learn whether, as 

 has been supposed, the habit is peculiar to those 

 snakes which are ovoviviparous — that is, those 

 in which the young are hatched from the egg 

 while still in the body of the parent. As was 

 remarked, there is no proof that the Black- 

 snake swallows its young, and this is the case 

 with all the egg-laying genera, as the Milk- 

 snakes (Ophibolus), Grass-snakes {Liopeltis and 

 Cyclophis), Brown-snakes (Storeria), Ring- 

 necked-snakes (Diadophis), and Bull-snakes 

 {Pityophis), although they are common and 

 easy to observe. 



If any reader of the Agriculturist should ob- 

 serve a snake with young running down her 

 throat, or should have reason to believe that 

 she had them in her stomach, it would be a 



