342 BRITISH SERPENTS. 



Lancashire. 



"The adder is the most common snake in this 

 county, the average length being from 21 to 24 inches. 

 In this district it is specially found on Clougha Pike, 

 Holker Moss, and at Witherslack in the Mosses. 

 Gamekeepers state that they have had several dogs 

 killed through adder-bites on these Mosses." — Arthur 

 Stanley, Lancaster (Hon. Sec. Field Nat. Soc.) 



Various Localities. 



" The ring snake is the most common snake in 

 Delamere (Cheshire), the adder being seldom met 

 with. I once captured a ring snake 33 inches long 

 in Delamere Forest. 



" On the bogland at Witherslack, near Grange-over- 

 Sands, I have often been cautioned by the old men of 

 the district to ' mind the add-worms,' which they said 

 were plentiful. 



"The ring snake is still very plentiful near Harlech 

 and Aberdaron, on Cardigan Bay, and near the latter 

 place one day I watched a blackbird pursuing a good- 

 sized blindworni. I captured the blindworm in my 

 butterfly-net and placed it in a large bottle of cyanide 

 of potassium, and carried it in the bottle a mile and a 

 half. On taking it out of the bottle at the village inn 

 the reptile at once showed activity and drove several 

 farmers from the room as effectively as a rattlesnake 

 could have done." — Mr Eobinson, 43 St John Street, 

 Longsight, Manchester. 



