186 Proceedings of the 



of a house, and confinement in boxes, are alike unsuited for 

 successful results. In all instances, in the natural state, hy- 

 bernation must vary with the setting in of winter and spring 

 respectively. As to gestation, if the reptile, in this country, 

 has only one set of young in the year, which I am disposed 

 to believe ; and granting that it follows other cold-blooded 

 animals to which it has some affinity, in making the repro- 

 duction of species its first effort after the slumbers of the 

 winter ; and granting, also, that it has been rarely found in 

 activity in Clydesdale earlier than the middle of April, I 

 would be disposed to fix about four months as the period of 

 gestation ; because, in every instance within my observation, 

 the impregnated specimens found produced their young or eggs 

 late in August or early in September. 



On 3d September 1845 a litter was hatched all but under 

 my own eye, and I had the parent in my possession from the 

 preceding June. On opening the box in which it was con- 

 fined, I found seven young in great activity, with the foetal 

 vascular tissues, still fresh, attached to the cloacal valve, and 

 four eggs — membranous oblong bodies, little larger than a field 

 bean — three of which ultimately yielded their living contents, 

 and one remained entire, with the young one visible within. 

 The young at this stage of existence were from 33 to 36 lines 

 long, not thicker than a small earth-worm, and weighed from 

 11 to 13 grains. In this way I became possessed of ten ob- 

 jects of special interest. During the first day, one was, no 

 doubt, devoured by its parent, for I found half of the tail un- 

 consumed, which the little creature had in all probability 

 wriggled off in an instinctive struggle. On procuring small 

 slugs, the young reptiles pounced upon them with artful avi- 

 dity ; and so voracious were they, that one of the slugs pro- 

 vided for the old animal was seized upon, although ten times 

 the weight of the creature that made the bold attempt. It 

 was amusing to see the slug moving on in its even course, with 

 the slender reptile attached, tugging in vain for the victory. 

 Though all did not grow equally, they on an average gained 

 about an inch in length, with a proportionate growth other- 

 wise, monthly, for the first year. Among my stock I fre- 



