1902 Correspondence 153 



who owned the boat.' I know the farmer who owns the boat ; he is 

 not a person who troubles about natural history, and only swears to the 

 snake. Though one can fish from the banks of this lake almost all 

 round, the rocks in many places, though not high, are sheer, and it is 

 quite possible that a young adder basking on the top of one may have 

 fallen off and so met with its fate. But I give the statement for what it 

 is worth." — J. L. Bevir, Wellington College. 



" May I mention one or two incidents bearing on some points 

 mentioned in the winter number of the F. N. Q. With regard to the 

 ' thrush's stones ' referred to by Mr Boycott in his most interesting article 

 on ' Snails in Winter,' the following seems to show that a thrush selects 

 a particular stone as its own feeding-place. Walking along a turnpike 

 road I saw a common thrush carrying a snail to a stone on the road on 

 which the bird attempted to break the shell. In this it was unsuccess- 

 ful, so taking the mollusc in its bill again it flew over the wall into an 

 adjoining field, where it broke the shell and devoured the contents. 

 On examining the spot I found a stone about 6 inches in height with 

 a round top, and lying around it as many broken snail-shells as would 

 have filled a tumbler. 



" In an editorial in the last issue a doubt is expressed whether the 

 adder takes to the water. I have met with adders in water on two 

 occasions. The first was when fishing in Blaydon Burn. I supposed 

 I had secured a good-sized eel under a stone and so pressed it as hard 

 as possible. Judge of my surprise when on landing it I found I had 

 taken a viper. However, I took no harm, but carried it home in 

 triumph. The second I saw swimming near Lannercost Abbey." — 

 Thomas Thompson, Winlaton House, Winlaton-on-Tyne. 



" In reference to your remarks on the ring snake {T. natrix) in the 

 last issue of the F. N. Q., may I indorse them by the following ? In 

 August last, when going to play golf on our new links on Dartmoor 

 (near Okehampton), I caught a fine T. natrix and gave it to my young_ 

 daughter, who was with me, having first tied it up in a large handker- 

 chief Presently I caught a large frog, which I put with the snake in 

 the handkerchief, placing them under the shelter of a furze-bush while I 

 played golf with a friend who saw the snake and the frog caught, and 

 both placed in the handkerchief. Picking up the handkerchief on the 

 conclusion of our game, we found that the frog had disappeared, but a 

 very brief examination of the snake showed that it had been so little 

 disturbed by its new captivity that it had made a meal forthwith of its 

 fellow-captive. This snake became a great pet of my little daughter, who 

 is very fond of these animals. 



" May I add that this last week two of my children have caught 24 

 vipers and ring snakes. All the vipers are of different shades of the same 

 dun colour. The land here is 'dun,' and on it I have seen no other 

 vipers but of this dun colour. At and near Jacobstowe we had red land, 

 and many of the vipers there were of that beautiful red colour. I have 

 not seen a single red viper here, but many dun ones. ' Dun ' is the 



