10 BRITISH SERPENTS. 
This snake has many other names given to it, of more 
or less local application. These terms are again syu- 
onymous, and equally correct; but for the sake of uni- 
formity, and also because it is more descriptive, we 
shall always refer to 7ropidonotus natrix as the “ ring 
snake” when using the English name. 
With regard to our third British species, the 
rare “smooth snake,” the name Coronella lavis is per- 
haps most usually adopted. Dut it is more correct to 
describe this serpent as Coronella austriaca, aud hence 
this term will be used. 
To sun up, then, our terminology— 
Vipera berus meaus the adder. 
Tropidonotus natrix means the ving snake. 
Coronclla austriaca weans the smooth snake. 
The small variety of our venomous serpent we 
shall refer to as the “small red viper.” 
We shall often have occasion to refer to Anguis 
Fragilis, and this lizard we shall eall the “ slow-worm,” 
not the “blind-worm,” because it is not blind, though 
it is somewhat slow to get out of one’s way; but its 
movements cannot by any means always be described 
as “slow.” 
Lastly in this connection, let us be careful not to 
« 
use the term “snake” as opposed to “adder,” as some 
do. This is most unscientific and wrone. All the 
Ophidia are “snakes,” which is only another name for 
“ serpents.” 
