292 BRITISH SERPENTS, 
Brisron and Distuier (part Gloucester, part Somer- 
set) —‘ The ring snake is the commoner in damp places, 
the adder in dry spots; on the whole, the ring snake is 
more numerous. I have measured an adder 24 inches, 
but the average is under that figure, the ring snake 
crowing to a length of 36 inches, but the majority 
are smaller. I once found three good-sized frogs and 
one toad in a ring snake, the unfortunate amphibians 
having been swallowed hind-leg first.”—H. J. Char- 
bonnier, 15 Cranbrook Road, Redland, Bristol. 
“The ring snake is the most common snake in this 
county, the average length being about 2 feet, but I 
have often taken them up to 30 inches. The largest I 
ever got was 364 inches. 
“The adder also occurs, the average length being 
about 15 or 14 inches, though I have found them as 
large as 24 inches. 
Kd. L. T. 
“T have never seen the smooth snake.” 
Austen, Wolford Fields, Shipton-on-Stour. 
Monmouthshire. 
In a county which shows the most diverse con- 
ditions of cultivation and barren hills, populous 
and lonely spots, it is only to be expected that 
animal distribution will show great local variety, 
and so it does. Both adders and ring snakes are 
fairly common in their respective habitats, but, taken 
over the whole county, the ring snake is the more 
