44 BRITISH SERPENTS. 



Lord Clermont says that it occurs in Italy, Sicily, 

 Switzerland, Belgium (rarely here), on the right 

 bank of the Moselle river, and in some parts of 

 France. It has been observed in Sweden, especially 

 in the neighbourhood of Gothenburg. Dr Opel ob- 

 tained a specimen in Silesia, so that its distribution 

 in Europe is a wide one. In England its favourite 

 counties are Dorset, Hants, Surrey, and formerly, at 

 all events, Berks. Mr J. Bevir says in a letter to 

 me that he remembers the smooth snake being found 

 in Berks on several occasions some years ago. He 

 adds, " I have seen three specimens from one locality, 

 but believe that now the species is extinct here ' : 

 (Berks). I do not know whether these specimens 

 are recorded or not. 



Description. — The smooth snake is one of the 

 smaller ophidians, the females averaging about 24 

 inches when full grown, the males somewhat less in 

 the specimens I have seen. Its colour is variously 

 described as brown, reddish-brown, rusty, or brownish- 

 yellow. No doubt it exhibits a certain amount of 

 colour-variation, as do other serpents. It is marked 

 with two series of irregular dark spots on the back, 

 these spots being more distinct on the anterior portion 

 of the snake. A writer in the ' Zoologist ' says : — 



" The head is but slightly distinct from the body ; 

 the tail short and strong at the base ; the eyes small ; 

 the rostral plate presses much upon the muzzle, and 

 is of triangular form, with its top pointed; there are 



