200 COLUBRID^: 



Distribution. — The range of the Smooth Snake 

 extends over nearly the whole of Europe, as far 

 north as 63 in Norway ; it becomes rare and more 

 local in the south, being absent from part of Spain 

 and the islands of the Mediterranean, with the 

 exception of Sardinia. It is common in the hilly 

 parts of Belgium, Northern and Central France, 

 Germany, and Austria. In Sweden it appears to be 

 restricted to the oak region. In Great Britain it 

 has been found in four counties in the South of 

 England : Surrey, Hampshire, Dorsetshire, and Berk- 

 shire, in some parts of which it is less uncommon 

 than usually supposed. Its reported occurrence in 

 Dumfriesshire is the result of an error ; the snake 

 figured as Coluber dumfriesiensis represents an Ameri- 

 can species. In a very interesting article written for 

 Science Gossip in 1888, Mr. A. L. Beldy says that 

 about 1868, when Bournemouth was but a very 

 small village, surrounded by large expanses of moor- 

 land, Coronella austriaca was extraordinarily abundant, 

 and during a hot summer examples were to be seen 

 literally in scores and great numbers were killed. 

 Since then, however, their numbers have gradually 

 decreased. About 1880 the snake was occasionally 

 found near Wellington College, Berks, and as many 

 as five were captured by one person in the course of 

 one year ; it is believed to be now extinct in that 

 neighbourhood. From South-Eastern Europe the 

 range of this species extends to South-Western Asia. 



