350 BRITISH SERPENTS. 



absolutely harmless, is the only one of the three 

 named which grows to 3 feet or more in length, it 

 may have travelled to the North ; but true evidence 

 of that fact has yet to be given, and it is a curious 

 circumstance that all the large serpents killed in the 

 North are lost or cannot be produced for identifica- 

 tion by competent authorities. 



I am glad to hear that the serpent which Mr 

 Beattie referred to is in existence, and as Mr Wood 

 has kindly offered to show it to any one, perhaps 

 those interested may see whether it measures as has 

 been alleged. I will take an early opportunity to do 

 so myself personally. 



Mr Porteous's experience is that of many others 

 reported — it was not measured at the time, and he, 

 after fifty years, " considered that it was 35 or 36 

 inches in length." Here, in this case, although he 

 says it was an adder, the creature was neither meas- 

 ured nor preserved. No ; snakes have been seen often 

 in the Highlands of gigantic and grotesque shapes, 

 but I am afraid to suggest the cause ! — I am, &c, 



Eoin. 



Glasgow, July 27, 1900. 



Sir, — I am very pleased indeed to see the letter of 

 my venerable friend the Kev. Dr Stewart ("Nether 

 Lochaber ") in a recent issue of your paper on the 

 above subject, which to a certain extent confirms 

 some former statements of mine regarding the adder 



