300 BRITISH SERPENTS. 
ing its slough the ground colour of the body is 
gS 
ereamy-white, and with the black diagonal marking 
is then an extremely handsome reptile. 
“ Adders are not uncommonly found in the Burnt 
Woods near Eccleshill, the largest being about 2 
feet in length. A friend of mine took 15 young 
from a female adder a year or two ago.”’—John R. 
LB. Masefield, Rosehill, Cheadle, Staffordshire. 
“The ring snake is most common in hedgerows 
and on cultivated or meadow land; the adder is 
confined to heaths, as at Chartley Park and Cannock 
Chase. Both species have become rarer of late years; 
but the adder is still not uncommon on Cannock 
Chase, though getting rare at Chartley, where it 
once abounded. The decrease of its numbers here 
is specially marked since the park was drained. 
The ving snake varies from 2 to 3 feet in the 
county, the adder averaging, as far as I can judge, 
from 20 to 22 inches.’ —G. H. Storer, F.Z.8., Cardigan 
Villa, Blackpool Street, Burton-on-Trent. 
Shropshire. 
“Riig Snake—This is the most abundant of the 
reptiles in Shropshire, and is found pretty generally 
throughout the county, It is also the largest British 
reptile, occasionally reaching a length of 5 feet; 
such a size is, however, quite exceptional, and it 
is more often found measuring between 30 and 
56 inches. 
