CHAPTER V. 
CORONELLA AUSTRIAUA, OR THE SMOOTH SNAKE. 
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DISTRIBUTION — IN BRITISH ISLES — DESCRIPTION — HABITS— 
EXTRACTS FROM REV. 0. P. CAMBRIDGW’S PAPER— OCCUR- 
RENCE IN BERKSHIRE—LITERATURE. 
Distribution.—This species is very rarely encoun- 
tered in this country, and we are indebted to 
Continental observers for most of the writings on 
it. Nevertheless, the smooth snake is now admitted 
as a true British serpent, and must therefore be in- 
cluded here. I have never come across one out of 
museums and collections myself, so freely acknow- 
ledge my indebtedness to others for the description 
of its habits and food. A list of references at the 
end of this chapter will enable those readers who 
desire to look further into the literature of this 
snake to know where to find it. 
Although so rare in this country, the smooth snake 
is common enough on the European Continent, more 
especially in the central and southern countries. 
