10 BRITISH SERPENTS. 



This snake has many other names given to it, of more 

 or less local application. These terms are again syn- 

 onymous, and equally correct; but for the sake of uni- 

 formity, and also because it is more descriptive, we 

 shall always refer to Tropidonotus natrix as the " ring 

 snake " when using the English name. 



With regard to our third British species, the 

 rare " smooth snake," the name Coronclla lecvis is per- 

 haps most usually adopted. But it is more correct to 

 describe this serpent as Coronella austriaca, and hence 

 this term will be used. 



To sum up, then, our terminology — 



Vipera bcrus means the adder. 

 Tropidonotus natrix, means the ring snake. 

 Coronclla austriaca means the smooth snake. 



The small variety of our venomous serpent we 

 shall refer to as the " small red viper." 



We shall often have occasion to refer to Anguis 

 fragilis, and this lizard we shall call the " slow-worm," 

 not the " blind-worm," because it is not blind, though 

 it is somewhat slow to get out of one's way ; but its 

 movements cannot by any means always be described 

 as " slow." 



Lastly in this connection, let us be careful not to 

 use the term " snake " as opposed to " adder," as some 

 do. This is most unscientific and wrong. All the 

 Ophidia are " snakes," which is only another name for 

 " serpents." 



