TRENT PKOVINCE. 323 



I saw a female ackier swallow her young in my 

 father's garden, at the edge of a shrubbery, but my 

 memory of the occurrence is too confused now to 

 be of use as evidence. But I know that at least 

 thirty years ago I fully believed that I had seen the 

 thing done." — F. T. Mott, Birstal Hill, Leicester. 



" In this county the ring snake is the most com- 

 mon, and averages 30 inches in length. 



"The adder here is very rare, and those I have 

 seen have been small, about 14 inches long." — Frank 

 Bouskell, F.E.S., F.R.H.S., Market Bosworth. 



" The ring snake, the most common ophidian in 

 this county, has here an average length of from 27 

 to 30 inches. The adder grows to 18 inches." — 

 Montagu Browne, F.G.S., F.Z.S., Corporation Museum, 

 Leicester. 



Rutland. 



" The ring snake is the most common in this county, 

 and averages about 2 feet in length, I should say. 

 Adders are not common near here, nor do they grow 

 to any large size." — Reginald Haines, M.A., Upping- 

 ham, Rutland. 



Nottingham (Retford District) and Lincoln. 



" I have no secure evidence that the adder is found 

 in the Retford district at all. 



" The ring snake is not at all common, and many 

 of the younger generation do not appear to have seen 



