75 



CHAPTER VI r. 

 VIPEBA BERUS, OR ADDER 



DISTRIBUTION — DESCRIPTION — AVERAGE SIZE— MARKINGS AND 



COLOURS — HAUNTS — FOOD. 



We now come to the consideration of our sole 

 venomous serpent in these islands — Vipcra herns, the 

 adder, or, as it is often called, the viper. It has 

 been explained in chap. i. of this hook why this 

 species will be discussed somewhat more fully than 

 was the case in the two serpents already considered. 

 Distribution. — Vipera berus is distributed over 

 almost the whole ,of the European continent, the 

 extreme north excepted, where the cold is too in- 

 tense for serpents to flourish. In Scotland it is 

 much more common than the ring snake, while in 

 England its distribution is very various, and will be 

 found under the head of the separate counties, in a 

 later chapter. In Wales it is very common in some 

 places, rare in others. Like the other ophidians, it 



