56 OUR REPTILES. 



the time I had something new, but, not taking 

 much interest in the reptiles, it was put into spirits 

 and forgotten until I saw Dr. Gray's notice. I have 

 sent this specimen to the British Museum, so that 

 anyone may see it." * 



Nothing more was heard of the Smooth Snake in 

 Britain till the year 1862, when, between October 

 and December, several communications appeared in 

 the Field, and Mr. Buckland seemed to claim its 

 discovery as an addition to the British Fauna. Mr. 

 Bartlett, of the Zoological Gardens, Kegent's Park, 

 ultimately published an account, in which he 

 stated,f — "It was on the morning of the 24th 

 August, 1862, 1 saw for the first time one of these 

 animals, Mr. Fenton having stopped me as I was 

 driving along the road in the Kegent's Park, and 

 taking from his pocket what I then thought was a 

 viper, asked me if I would accept it for the Zoo- 

 logical Gardens." From the Proceedings of the 

 Zoological Society we learn that, on one occasion, 

 Mr. F. Buckland exhibited this specimen, and 

 ultimately! several others, which had been found 

 in this country. So deficient, however, in all the 

 necessary details of date, place, and circumstances 

 of capture were these recent accounts, that, had 

 there not been prior and more satisfactory records 



* Zoologist, p. 6787. t Intellectual Observer, iii., p. H9. 



% November 11th, 1862. 



