MERSEY PROVINCE. 327 



Lancashire and Cheshire. 



"The ring snake occurs occasionally about Whit- 

 tingham, near Preston, but is not so frequent as 

 formerly. I have not seen one over 22 inches long. 

 Its local name is ' lang worm ' (long worm). It also 

 occurs on Hale Moss, near Bowdon. 



" The adder is common on Chat Moss ; near Patri- 

 croft (where I have frequently seen them bask- 

 ing at the foot of the railway banks) ; not infrequent 

 on the peaty heath-covered tops of the Fells ; Bleas- 

 dale Forest; Parlic Pike; Fairsnape, &c. The aver- 

 age length of those I have seen in North Lancashire 

 would be about 13 inches. Since the introduction of 

 mowing-machines the ring snake and the slow-worm 

 have much decreased in numbers, and I have many 

 times seen them — especially the latter — snipped to 

 pieces in the machine." — B. Standen, Manchester 

 Museum, Owens College, Manchester. 



JVote. — A farmer in Monmouthshire told me that 

 he had cut up three adders in this way in mowing 

 one field of hay this summer (1900). — Author. 



