REPTILES. 199 



to develop varies according to the temperature, and they 

 have been known to remain dormant through the winter; 

 not developing till the following spring. Generally, 

 however, they hatch in a few weeks. The young are 

 at first almost black. The mother takes no interest in 

 her offspring, leaving them to shift for themselves. Pro- 

 bably they feed on grubs, etc., that they would find 

 plentiful in manure, thriving on these till they grow 

 big enough to capture larger animals. If the scales 

 on the back of this Snake are examined, it will be noticed 

 that each has a raised ridge or keel running along its 

 centre a feature which is absent in the rare Smooth 

 Snake to be next described. The tail of the Common 

 Snake is most characteristic, being very long, and taper- 

 ing off gradually to a fine whip-like extremity. 'This 

 alone renders it easy to distinguish it from either the Viper 

 or Smooth Snake, both of which have comparatively 

 blunt tails. 



Smooth Snake. This species has not been taken in Shropshire, but 

 Colonella Lcevis. Mr. W. S. Buddicom saw a Snake at Ticklerton, 



about 1880, which he feels sure was neither a 

 Viper nor a Common Snake, and upon reading the description of 

 the Smooth Snake, concluded that it must have been one of that 

 species. Under the circumstances it has been thought advisable to 

 give a description of the Smooth Snake sufficient to enable anyone to 

 identify it, and it is requested that anyone fortunate enough to find 

 one will communicate the fact, or send the specimen, to the author. 

 Colour : greenish-brown above, with two longitudinal rows of 

 small black spots : lower parts lighter, but much obscured by black 

 markings; head small and rounded, neck very little narrower; scales 

 numerous, small, and smooth (i.e. not keeled) ; tail thick-set and not 

 ending in nearly so long and sharp a point as in the Common Snake ; 

 size small, rarely reaching two feet m length. It is oviparous, 

 and said to be rather savage, but the bite is quite harmless. 



