280 BRITISH SERPENTS. 
This is another county from which it appears to 
be very difficult to get any information about the 
serpents. The reason doubtless is, as I have else- 
where said, that the reptiles are scarce here. Indeed 
Mr Percival Westell says in a letter to me, “I am 
always rambling about in Herts, and find that both 
the adder and the ring snake are exceedingly rare. 
I never encounter either species.”—Author. 
Berkshire. 
“The ring snake is the most common snake here, 
The adder is also found, never over 2 feet long. I 
have seen three specimens of Coronella laris, the 
smooth snake, from one locahty (last in 1882).’”—J. 
W. Bevir, M.A.. Wellington College. 
“This summer a great many ring snakes were 
caught by members of the school. In July a curious 
variety of this species came under my notice. The 
belly was coloured dull white, with one longitudinal 
black line running from neck to tail. The snake was 
a small one about 16 inches long. The back was a 
dirty black colour. I have not seen any other like it 
in this country.” — Zoological Report, Wellington 
College Naturalists’ Soe., 8S. 8. Flower, Director of 
Museum, 1886. 
“T have taken both ring snakes and adders at 
Mortimer in this county, the former ranging from 
12 to 54 inches, the adders from 12 to 2+ inches. 
Adders are plentiful at Pamber Forest, near Reading, 
