BLACK VIPER. 375 



sum docs her brood into the pouch under her belly 

 upon the hke emergencies ; and yet the London 

 Viper- Catchers insist on it to Mr. Barrington that 

 no such thing ever happens." 



Sir Thomas Brown, however, seems inchned to 

 believe this circumstance. The young," says 

 he, supposed to break through the belly of the 

 dam, will upon any fright, for protection, run 

 into it ; for then the old one receives them in at 

 her mouth, v/hich way, the fright being past, they 

 will return again, which is a peculiar Avay of re- 

 fuge, and although it seem strange, is avowed by 

 frequent experience and undeniable testimony." 



I must add, that I have myself received on this 

 subject the information of a gentleman of great 

 accuracy of observation, and who assures me of 

 the truth of this particular in the natural history 

 of the Viper. 



VAR. ? 

 BLACK VIPER. ^ 



Coluber Prester. C. niger, vitta dorsali dentata nigerrima. 

 Black Viper, with jet-black dentated dorsal band. 

 Coluber Prester. Lin. Syst. Nat. p. 337. 

 Vipera Anglica nigrans. Petiv. Mvs. p. 17. n. 104. 

 Abdominal scuta 152, subcaudal squamae 32. 



This Viper is found in some parts of England, 

 and is said likewise to occur in Austria, and in 

 some of the northern regions of Asia. It resem- 

 bles the common Viper in every particular except 



