SNAKES IN IRELAND IN 1900. 41 
from the report. Secondly, the trees which came 
from England were /ruit- trees, not shrubs. Thirdly, 
and most important of all, the trees had not arrived 
lately, but some three or four years ago. It is 
obvious that these snakes are to be accounted for in 
one of three ways :— 
1. The eggs may have been taken to Ireland in 
the earth of the fruit-trees, or in the packings, as 
Sir R. Hodson is inchned to think. 
2. The snakes may have been taken over as snakes 
(probably very young, if this were so), either in the 
trees mentioned or in something else taken to that 
locality. 
3. It is just possible that some person introduced 
them intentionally, and has been enjoying the joke 
ever since October 8. However unlikely one may 
deem this explanation, it must be reckoned with: 
such things have happened before. Hoping to get 
some more leht on the matter, [ then wrote to 
Dr Thompson of Delgany, where the other snake 
was reported from. He wrote to me as follows :— 
“The specimen of the yellow ringed snake found 
here on August 12, 1900, was 29 inches long. It 
was discovered by a farm labourer under a cock of 
hay in the field when pitching the hay on to a cart. 
No one could account for its presence in these parts ; 
but I have a shrewd suspicion that as there was a 
university camp (comprised of boys from English 
schools) within half a mile from here in 1899, and 
