Miscellanies. 187 



to come to my hand foi- a draught of milk every morning at breakfast, 

 which he always did of his own accord ; but he would fly from stran- 

 gers, and hiss if they meddled with him." Many of the members of 

 this society undoubtedly remember having seen, several years since, 

 accounts in the newspapers of snakes being carried to Ireland, and 

 that they were increasing there. The facts connected with this at- 

 tempt to introduce these animals into Ireland, are thus clearly shown 

 by a letter to the author from Mr. Thompson. " In this order {Ophi' 

 dia) there is not now, nor I believe ever was there, any species indi- 

 genous to Ireland. In the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal for 

 April, 1835, it is remarked, 'We have learned from good authority, 

 that a recent importation of snakes has been made into Ireland, and 

 that at present they are multiplying rapidly within a few miles of the 

 tomb of St. Patrick.' I never," proceeds Mr. Thompson, "heard 

 of this circumstance until it was published, and subsequently endeav- 

 ored to ascertain its truth, by inquiring of the persons about Down- 

 patrick, (where the tomb of St. Patrick is,) who are best acquainted 

 with these subjects, not one of whom had ever heard of snakes being 

 in the neighborhood. Recollecting that about the year 1831, a snake, 

 (Natrix torquata,) immediately after being killed at Milecross, was 

 brought by some country people in great consternation to my friend, 

 Dr. I. L. Druromond, I thought this might be one of those alluded to ; 

 and recently made enquiry of James Cleland, Esq., of Ruth Gael 

 House, (County Down,) twenty-five miles distant in a direct line from 

 Downpatrick, respecting snakes said to have been turned out by him; 

 I was favored by that gentleman with the following satisfactory reply. 

 ' The report of my having introduced snakes into this country is cor- 

 rect. Being curious to ascertain whether the climate of Ireland was 

 destructive to that class of reptiles, about six years ago I purchased 

 half a dozen of them in Covent Garden market, in London ; they had 

 been taken some time, and were quite tame and familiar. I turned 

 them out in my garden ; they immediately rambled away ; one of themi 

 was killed at Milecross, three miles distant, in about a week after its 

 liberation, and three others were shortly afterwards killed within that 

 distance of the place where they were turned out; and it is highly 

 probable that the remaining two met with a similar fate, falling vic- 

 tims to a reward which it appears was ofiered for their destruction.' " 

 Besides the Natrix torquata, but one more of the Ophidia is no- 

 ticed ; the Pelius Berus, common adder ; which, to use the words 

 of our author, " is the sole British representative of any of the poison- 

 ous groups of serpents, and indeed the only poisonous reptile indi- 

 genous to this country." 



