THE SNAKES. 169 



wood, and penetrates to a considerable depth in such 

 situations by means of its smooth, rounded muzzle and 

 even polished body." 



It is very harmless and inoffensive, and very timid ; it 

 has the power of contracting its muscles to such an extent 

 as to become perfectly stiff, and 

 then if at all roughly handled 

 or struck with a twig or whip, 

 will break into a number of 

 pieces. Hence the name Fragilis 

 given to this animal by Linnaeus. 



It is ovo-viviparous, and gene- 



rally produces its young in June HEAD Qf m SLOW . WORH . 

 or July. It sheds its skin like 



the true snakes, leaving its slough turned inside out on 

 the bushes. 



It is about 10 to 12 inches in length, sometimes even 

 much longer, about equal thickness, with a very small 

 head, with very small eyes, brilliant and quick, with per- 

 fect eyelids, as in the lizards. Teeth very small, slightly 

 hooked ; tongue broad, notched at the extremity, but not 

 bifid, as in the snakes ; tail obtuse, about half the length 

 of the body ; general colour brownish silvery-grey, with 

 several parallel longitudinal rows of black spots. 



It is very fond of eating a little white slug, Limax 

 agrestis, so very common in our fields and gardens, as 

 well as insects and earthworms. 



THE SNAKES. 



Of the snakes, we have in this country only one veno- 

 mous and one non-venomous. The COMMON VIPER or 

 ADDER, Fig. I (Pelius Berus; family, Viperidce), is far more 

 common in Scotland than the common snake. Although 

 the bite of an adder will cause very unpleasant symptoms, 

 we believe there is no record of death being caused by 

 it among the human race. We have seen dogs, espe- 

 cially pointers and setters, bitten by the viper in Scot- 

 land, and it appears to us that the dogs suffered more 



