44 COLOUR VARIATION IN BRITISH ADDERS. 



paper read to this society in the year 1886 by your distinguished 

 member, the Rev. O. P. Cambridge, placed on record the first 

 undoubted capture of this species in 1853 by Mr. Frederick Bond 

 and Mr. Cambridge, and in 1859 by the Hon. A. Russell, and 

 this paper still remains one of the best accounts of the smooth 

 snake we have. In my forthcoming book on " British Serpents," 

 I have quoted it almost in extenso, and am glad to have the 

 opportunity here in the town in which it was read of ac- 

 knowledging my indebtedness to Mr. Cambridge for that, and 

 also for examining some specimens of this snake he was good 

 enough to send me. So, gentlemen, you all being familiar with 

 the snake group, I have chosen one point colour variation 

 to speak of to-day. 



(a) THE COLOURS OBSERVED. 



It may be truly said that adders vary in colour from black to 

 white, since specimens of both these types are met with, though 

 both are rare. But the colours one generally finds in our vipers 

 are the following : 



Brown Yellow or gold Blue 



Olive green Grey Red 



Shades of these combined. 



Those are the colours seen, but they affect different parts of 

 the body of the reptile. 



The body ground colour not the belly may be yellow, 

 brown, or olive, or of any intermediate shade. The zigzag 

 dorsal line and the V-shaped marking at the back of the head 

 may be very black on various shades of brt>wn. The belly may 

 be dark blue, black, mottled greyish blue, with the outer edges 

 of the belly scales black, or even white. The throat may be 

 yellowish, or have the scales black-edged or all black. Finally, 

 in the variety of adder known as the Small Red Viper, the whole 

 reptile is of a mahogany red colour, the zigzag line being only 

 differentiated by being of a darker shade than the rest of the 

 body. These colours, then, are briefly those most commonly 

 encountered. The problem to which I wish to draw your 



