colour varies here as elsewhere. I have seen some on the marshes nearly black."-(Dr) Henry Laver, Colchester (author of 'The Mammals, Reptiles, and Fishes of Essex').

I

"The ring snake is fairly common in Epping Forest, where the adder is less abundant. The latter is found in the more northern parts, where the soil is more sandy. The black form of the adder occurs. The smooth snake does not occur, to my knowledge. Mr E. Fitch, F.L.S., writes me: In some years adders abound on Our commons and on our sea- walls, but they have been much rarer of late years. recorded the largest local ring snake in the "Essex Naturalist"; it measured 3 feet 3 inches, I think. This is far the most common species in Essex.' Mr Miller Christy says: I should say that the ring snake is vastly more common in the county than the adder, as the former is found in almost all parts, the latter only, or mainly, in the marshes or in woody or heathy localities, which are comparatively rare in the county."-Wm. Cole, Buckhurst Hill, Essex.

Hertfordshire.

"The grass snake or ring snake is the most common in this county, but is not often found. When it does occur its length varies from 24 to 36 inches. The adder is very seldom seen, and the smooth snake never, as far as I am aware."-A. E. Gibbs, County Museum, St Albans.

This is another county from which it appears to be very difficult to get any information about the serpents. The reason doubtless is, as I have elsewhere said, that the reptiles are scarce here. Indeed Mr Percival Westell says in a letter to me, “I am always rambling about in Herts, and find that both the adder and the ring snake are exceedingly rare. I never encounter either species."—Author.

Berkshire.

The ring snake is the most common snake here. The adder is also found, never over 2 feet long. I have seen three specimens of Coronella lavis, the smooth snake, from one locality (last in 1882).”—J. W. Bevir, M.A., Wellington College.

"This summer a great many ring snakes were caught by members of the school. In July a curious

variety of this species came under my notice. The belly was coloured dull white, with one longitudinal

black line running from neck to tail.

The snake was The back was a

a small one about 16 inches long. dirty black colour. I have not seen any other like it in this country."- Zoological Report, Wellington College Naturalists' Soc., S. S. Flower, Director of Museum, 1886.

"I have taken both ring snakes and adders at Mortimer in this county, the former ranging from 12 to 34 inches, the adders from 12 to 24 inches. Adders are plentiful at Pamber Forest, near Reading,

where I have seen as many as a dozen in a day's flycatching. Ring snakes are common in almost all parts of Berks. At Bear Wood last season (1900) I saw a great number of them rolling about together near the water, two of which I captured, measuring 32 and 34 inches long respectively. I find that the adders vary very much in colour in the same districts. A friend

captured a specimen of the small red viper at Tylhurst in this county two years ago, and I took one in the Caversham Warren, Oxfordshire, in the year 1864."C. N. Allen, 102 Donnington Gardens, Reading.

66

Adders are rare on the north side of the downs, but on the south side, near Hermitage and Newbury, they are met with more frequently. An under-keeper tells me that he has not seen one during seventeen years on the north side.

"We have many ring snakes, however, on this side of the downs, the size, roughly speaking, being anything up to 3 feet.

"The belief that the adder swallows her young is prevalent here, as in so many other localities."Eleanor G. Hayden, Steventon, Berks.

Oxfordshire.

I

Certainly the ringed snake is the most commonroughly speaking, in the proportion of 100 to 1. am not aware of the occurrence of the smooth snake in this county."-Lilian Veley (Hon. Sec. Nat. Hist. Soc.), 20 Bradmore Road, Oxford.

Buckinghamshire.

The ring snake is the most common, but does not appear to grow to the size generally given in books. The adder is rare in this county, at any rate in South Bucks.

Except at Burnham Beeches, I know of no neighbourhood where snakes can be found with certaintya comparative rarity somewhat difficult to explain. I have never seen an adder in South Bucks, and have rarely heard of this species being captured."—M. D. Hill, Eton College, Windsor.

"In the Ipswich district neither the adder nor the ring snake can be called common, though the adder is seen the more frequently of the two. It rarely exceeds 24 inches in length. The ring snake when found is between 24 and 30 inches. The smooth snake does not occur, to my knowledge."-G. H. Hewetson, Hon. Sec. Scientific Society, Ipswich (Notes from Mr Miller and Mr F. Woolnough).

Norfolk.

"I think I may safely say that there is no record of the occurrence of the smooth snake in Norfolk. The specimen of the ring snake in Norwich Castle Museum is 3 feet long, and Mr Fitt of Norwich has a fine pre