344 BRITISH SERPENTS. 



than in other parts of the country, and some are of 

 opinion that the species has a somewhat different 

 build from the English serpent. Comparatively 

 little attention has been paid to this subject, and 

 it offers a good field of investigation to Scottish 

 naturalists. 



Eegarding the size of adders in Scotland, the follow- 

 ing correspondence appeared in the ' Scotsman ' in 

 the summer of 1900, and is reproduced here by kind 

 permission of the editor : — 



Size of the Adder. 



Glasgow, June 20, 1900. 



Sir, — A statement was current in the press two 

 weeks ago that an adder had been killed in Eoss-shire 

 35 inches long. I have made inquiry regarding it, and 

 find that the animal in question was not measured, 

 the length being only guessed at. As at this season 

 of the year the adder is often seen in suitable 

 localities, I should like to be allowed to repeat, 

 what I have over and over again said, that no adder 

 has ever been killed in Scotland of the above dimen- 

 sions, and to challenge any one to produce a speci- 

 men of that length. Last year a correspondent made 

 the assertion that they were common in Eoss-shire, 

 and frequently found a yard or more in length, but 

 since my former challenge no one has yet been pro- 

 duced. The maximum length is about 28 inches, 

 and any which are killed and found on measurement 



