88 



NATURAL 



HISTORY 



them ; which eggs do not hatch till the 

 Spring following, as I have often expe- 

 rienced. Several intelligent folks assure 

 me that they have seen the viper open her 

 mouth and admit her helpless young down 

 her throat on sudden surprises, just as the 

 female opossum does her brood into the 

 pouch under her belly, upon the like 

 emergencies ; and yet the London viper- 

 catchers insist on it, to Mr. Barrington, 

 that no such thing ever happens. The ser- 

 pent kind eat, I believe, but once in a 

 year; or, rather, but only just at one sea- 

 son of the year. Country people talk much 

 of a water-snake, but, I am pretty sure, 

 without any reason ; for the common snake 

 ( coluber natrix ) delights much to sport in 

 the water, perhaps with a view to procure 

 frogs and other food. 



I cannot well guess how you are to make 

 out your twelve species of reptiles, unless 

 it be by the various species, or rather va- 

 rieties, of our lacerti, of which Ray enume- 

 rates five. I have not had opportunity of 

 ascertaining these ; but remember well to 



