58 BRITISH SERPENTS. 
in defeating the vigorous efforts that, during the 
swallowing process, the lizard makes to escape.” 
Mr Baldry concludes a most valuable paper with a 
reoret that naturalists have not given more attention 
to the close observation of coronella, in which regret I 
certainly concur; though in the case of a reptile whose 
"| 
[oi ee ae 
Pig. 10.— Coronvetta Avsrrenica, or SMOOTH SNAKE. 
Note— 
Shape of head. Shape of tail. 
Steel-blue colour, showing where slough is peeling off. 
Absence of markings secn in adder and ring snake. 
British distribution is so extremely limited, and whose 
numbers seem to be decreasing, it can fall to the lot 
of very few capable naturalists to have the desired 
opportunity, Still, [ should not be at all surprised to 
find, if the matter were closely investigated, that the 
smooth snake occurs more generally in the south of 
England than is suspected. 
