TRENT PROVINCE. 319 



which still bears this name, though it is all arable 

 fields], he took in or embanked about [blank] acres 

 across the north end of the 114 belonging to my 

 fa[ther] and Mr Hall. There was a sandhill on it 

 on which grew great furze or whins. It was a great 

 place for snakes, as they were safe there [when the 

 other part of the common was flooded, and a great 

 deal of it was under water most of the winter before 

 the enclosure]. When the first tide was taken in 

 T[homas] L[ockwood] had several men walking on the 

 top of the banks to be ready to stop it if any water 

 came through [the recently made embankments]. 

 When the water from the Trent had got amongst 

 the furze on the hill, the snakes left it and swam 

 to the bank where the men were, who killed them 

 as soon as they got out of the water. Old Thomas 

 Stocks, who was one of the men, told me more than 

 50 [were killed in this way], and he was always a 

 very punctual [i.e., accurate] man.' [The viper and 

 common grass snake are still found on the commons 

 close by. I have heard old men speak of ' the 

 wonderful sight ' to see ' a flooding ' before warping 

 became common. The fox, hare, rabbit, stoat, and 

 weasel, as well as the marsh and sand-common birds, 

 all attempted to escape to the banks at once, and 

 became an easy prey to the watchers with guns and 

 sticks.] 



" The higher cultivation of Lincolnshire is fast de- 

 stroying our snakes. Year by year there is less and 



