SEVERN PROVINCE. 289 
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of an adult meadow-vole, I have often been bitten by 
them, but have sustained no harm from their bites. 
“The adder averages 21 inches in the males, 23 
inches in the females. The biggest I ever had was a 
giant 26% inches long, measured alive. I turned it 
out where I found it.’—Charles A. Witchell, Chorlton 
Kings (author of ‘Fauna of Gloucestershire ’). 
On January 17, 1888, Mr C. A. Witchell read a 
paper on the “ Reptilia and Batrachia of Gloucester- 
shire,” from which, by his permission, the following 
extracts are taken :— 
“T have no record of the smooth snake having been 
seen wild in this county. 
“The ringed snake varies in its ground colour in all 
shades between warm red-brown and clear light-green, 
and these different shades correspond with the length 
of time elapsed since the last shedding of the skin, for 
the brown snake becomes a green snake when this 
event takes place. 
“About midsummer the female snake lays her eggs, 
from 4 to 27 in number, in—if possible—her favourite 
nest, a manure-heap. I have never been able to hatch 
out snakes’ eggs in a cage. 
“Yn confinement the snake likes to catch his own 
dinner, and will seize newts swimming in a vessel of 
water in his cage. One of my snakes ate 17 newts at 
a meal; another devoured a gudgeon 6 inches long; 
and a third, when coiled round my hand, would catch 
au 
