COUNTY AND DISTRICT DISTRIBUTION. 239 
In arranging the information I have grouped the 
counties according to the sheet recently issued (pre- 
pared by Alex. Somerville, F.L.S.), and called “The 
County and Vice-County Divisions of the British 
) 
Isles,” for biological purposes. Some districts have 
supphed much fuller information than others, for the 
simple reason that where snakes are not, there is 
nothing more to say. 
At first sight there would appear to be some direct 
contradictions in the records of some counties, but on 
closer examination it will be found that where two 
observers disagree in their statements they refer to 
different localities, though it may be the same county. 
This very local distribution is a striking feature 
in British serpents, and is to be noticed in many 
counties. People who live on different sides of the 
same range of mountains, though perhaps in the same 
county, may make directly opposite statements as to 
which serpent is the most common, and both are prob- 
ably right. Adders particularly keep to very much 
the same place, if the process of civilisation around 
them is fairly stationary; and there are places where 
adders abound, the persons living a few miles off 
being quite unaware of their existence, because the 
reptiles stop in the same place. The ring snake is 
not quite so local in its habit, and wanders farther 
atield. These facts should be borne in mind in com- 
paring the statements made by various correspon- 
dents. Not quite so easy of explanation is the great 
