54 The Field Naturalist's Quarterly Feb. 



Shrewsbury ; third county record. Stomach contained re- 

 mains of Common Shrew and elytra of beetle. 



June 27. — Hobby nested for third year in succession in 

 old crow's nest near Ludlow; three fresh eggs on this 

 date. 



Sept. 18. — Black Tern, immature, shot near Broseley. 



Sept. 23. — Great Snipe shot near Minsterley. 



Sept. 24. — Chough caught in a pole trap at Church 

 Stretton. Only one previous record in Shropshire. 



Sept. 28. — Black-tailed Godwit found on the Stiperstones 

 in a weak state, and killed. This species is far rarer than 

 the Bar-tailed Godwit, and has not been obtained since 

 Eyton's time. The specimen is a bird of the previous 

 year. 



Nov. 19. — Adult female Goosander shot on Betton Pool. 



Nov. 21. — Near Shrewsbury I saw a female Hen Harrier 

 flying across westwards about mid-day. Eleven days prev- 

 iously one was shot at Bromfield. 



Reptilia. 



" When in the Cotswolds in June 1901 I killed a magni- 

 ficent viper. It was the longest I ever saw, and I find on 

 comparing the measurement with the records in ' British 

 Serpents ' that it is of unusual length. It measured 281%- 

 inches, and was a female. The ovaries were, however, very 

 slightly developed. The stomach contained nothing but a 

 slimy substance. 



" I have also had a viper sent to me from near Whitchurch, 

 which came in a bottle with a wooden plug in it. The viper 

 reached me alive, but en ronte had disgorged a mouse of some 

 kind, which I have not yet examined for identification." — R. 

 Newstead, Grosvenor Museum, Chester. 



(The first case noted by Mr Newstead is one of the very 

 few authenticated instances of adders measuring over 28 

 inches. It is possible that the ovaries were atrophied from 

 age. The second note is an example of a common habit of 

 both adders and ring snakes — viz., disgorging any recent 

 meal when captured. — Ed.) 



