SEVERN PROVINCE. 301 
“ Adder.—In Shropshire the adder is not nearly so 
numerous as the ring snake. It is entirely absent 
from the immediate neighbourhood of Shrewsbury, 
the nearest places where it occurs being Nesscliff 
and Pim Hills. It is fairly numerous in the 
neighbourhood of Oswestry and Ellesmere, on Rudge 
Heath and Whixall Moss in the north, and on Titter- 
stone Clee Hill and in the Forest of Wyre in the south. 
The adder varies a good deal in its ground colour, 
but is generally either of a dull brownish-grey or a 
coppery-red hue. According to Rev. J. T. Lee, who 
dissected a large number of specimens found near 
his residence, Far Forest Vicarage, in the Wyre 
Forest, the difference coincides with the sex, the 
erey ones being males and the coppery ones 
females.’—‘ Fauna of Shropshire, by H, E. Forrest, 
pp. 194, 200. 
Worcestershire and Shropshire. 
“T have frequently taken the adder in the Wyre 
Forest. The largest specimen I took there was 26 
inches long, and contained two mice or voles—one 
full-grown, the other immature and partially digested. 
“The ving snake I believe to be absent altogether 
from the Forest proper. This species was, however, 
frequently taken a few years ago close to Dudley, 
and no doubt still occurs there. The exact local- 
ity was between Dudley and Lower Gornal, in 
Staffordshire. 
