THE SMALL RED VIPER. 213 
make every effort to elide quietly away, as does the 
adder, but, curling its tail in a circle on the ground, 
erects its head and hisses vigorously. 
Much requires to be learnt regarding its food and 
reproduction, the great difficulty being to secure enough 
specimens to form reliable data. 
The illustration of the small red viper (p. 211) is 
from the one I captured in Monmouthshire. 
Specific name.—lIf naturalists could see their way 
to use some specific name, such as Vipera rubra, when 
referring to this viper, it would greatly conduce to 
accuracy and clearness, and would avoid the confusion 
which at present exists. 
