THE RING SNAKE. wi 
the eggs had probably been deposited in the hollow 
wall, and the young developed there. The twenty- 
two that were killed at the same time were, moreover, 
all the same size, which also bears out this sup- 
position. 
According to the calculation of Mr Lewis, 1200 
young rine snakes were despatched on the occasion of 
the pulling down of the back wall on October 27, 1900. 
It is almost a pity that the repairs were not deferred 
for another week or two, when the condition of things 
would have been a sight worth seeing. But I should 
expect that the dwellers in Cefncaeau Row have not 
seen the last of their unwelcome visitors, as no doubt 
there are more old ones in the quarry, who will turn 
up in the spring again. 
I have gone into this plague of snakes in some 
detail because it illustrates very well the habits and 
haunts of our most common serpent, and also because, 
as far as I know, it is the most remarkable incident 
of its kind on record in this country. 
