Occasional Notes. 173 
for protection — even though they occurred in the uterus 
and not in the stomach. On the other hand, the definite 
statement has been made by individuals, who, one would 
think, would have no object or interest in mis-stating 
what had been observed, that they had actually seen the 
young snakes, on alarm, take refuge in the mouth of the 
parent ; and one cannot help wonder'-^ «'Mfher the 
young snakes went, since the mouth could not con- 
tain them ; and it would be unlikely that they would 
penetrate into the stomach, where the gastric juices 
would certainly not lead to their preservation. 
Quite recently it has been stated to me by Mr. A. B. 
BARNARD, a pioneer miner and mining engineer of the 
gold industry of our colony —a gentleman of high educa- 
cation, and widely known for his great powers of obser- 
vation, and his experience of the world, — that he had 
killed in the upper district of the Mazaruni a large 
bushmaster or Coonacoushi (Lachesis mutus) , from the 
mouth of which there issued several young speci- 
mens, which, from their character and markings, were 
evidently of the same species. There was no doubt 
of the fact that they came from the mouth, he assured 
me, since he himself had seen it, for I at once had sug- 
gested the other extremity of the reptile as being the 
only possible, or at least, the only likely place, from 
which they might have issued. 
I give the instance as it was related, without being 
able to offer any explanation of the matter after the 
personal statement made by Mr. Barnard ; but I would 
further state that Mr, Barnard was unaware of the 
disputed points in question, and had only brought the 
case under my notice as one that was quite surprising to 
