H4 THE BOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



it often hisses and makes a great fuss it never bites, having indeed 

 no means of defence except voiding the ill-smelling contents of 

 its cloaca and anal glands. 



There are nineteen rows of scales as in the smooth snake (as 

 compared with twenty-one in the adder) ; these scales are keeled 

 as in the adder (not smooth as in Coronella}. The usual colour 

 is olive-grey or brown above, with black spots and narrow cross- 

 bands ; black and white and grey below. 



The grass snake likes moist meadows near water, for it feeds 

 chiefly on fishes and frogs. It can swim well, and is able to climb 

 on shrubs. 



Grass snakes pair in May or June, and lay eggs in July or 

 August, usually amid decaying vegetable matter. About three 



FIG. 34. The grass snake Tropidonotusnatrix. There are usually seven 

 scales along the upper lip, as the figure shows, and the third and fourth 

 of these border the eye. There is often a black collar behind the head. 



dozen soft-shelled yellowish eggs, about an inch long, are laid at a 

 time and cohere in a clump. The young are hatched at the end 

 of summer or in autumn ; they feed for a few weeks on insects 

 and worms before they take to small frogs. They are readily 

 drowned if they fall into water. The grass snake is easily kept in 

 captivity and becomes very tame. It requires abundance of 

 water. 



(6) The harmless smooth snake Coronella Icevis occurs as a 

 rarity in a few counties of England, e.g. Hampshire and Dorset- 

 shire. It is often very like the adder, and is about the same 

 length, rarely exceeding two feet. " On closer inspection the 

 differences are great enough, the harmless snake having smooth 

 scales, and the top of the head being covered with large shields ; 

 while the viper has keeled scales, the top of the head being covered 



