194 FAUNA OF SHROPSHIRE. 



ducing some eight or ten young, about July. In colour 

 it is metallic-grey (sometimes with a coppery tinge), 

 along the back and sides, paler underneath. The average 

 size is from ten to twelve inches, though occasionally 

 found over fifteen inches in length. The entire body is 

 covered with small scales, and is of almost uniform 

 thickness throughout ; the tail tapers slightly and is not 

 very sharply pointed. 



COMMON, or RINGED SNAKE. This is the most 

 Tropidonotus natrix. abundant of the Reptiles in Shropshire, 

 and is found pretty generally through- 

 out the County. It is also the largest British Reptile, 

 occasionally reaching a length of five feet ; such a size 

 is, however, quite exceptional, and it is more often found 

 measuring between thirty and thirty-six inches. The 

 colouring is really beautiful, a combination of various 

 shades of green and yellow. It gets its name of * Ringed 

 Snake ' from the patches of bright primrose-yellow on 

 the neck, forming an almost complete ring around it. 

 It is rarely found far from water, and " may often be 

 surprised, coiled up in sunny weather, with its head out, 

 enjoying the luxury of a bath. It will dive after water- 

 newts, especially when rather hungry, bringing them to 

 shore in its mouth, and devouring them upon dry land " 

 (M. C. Cooke). It is also said to capture fish in the same 

 manner, and in the Royal Natural History, the Ringed 

 Snake is represented as swimming with the head above 

 water and bearing off in its mouth a small fish. There 

 is abundant evidence that the Snake prefers Frogs to 

 any other kind of food, though it also feeds freely upon 

 mice, eggs, and young birds. The snake's mode of feed- 

 ing is peculiar : the lower jaw is not articulated direct 



