SCOTLAND, 347 
Arpaay, June 21, 1900. 
Str,—-Those who take an interest in these matters 
may like to know that serpents, not adders, of from 
3 feet upwards are known in the Highlands. 
The report I sent you did not say that the 35-inch 
snake was an adder. Any person of mediocre intel- 
ligence or common-sense knows that adders seldom if 
ever exceed 28 inches. The biggest I ever measured 
was 274 inches exactly. The other lone snakes I do 
not know by name, but they exist. The biggest I 
have heard of was 4 feet 4 inches, killed by a Donald 
MacLeod, shepherd, Cearbhaig, near Cape Wrath, an 
account of which was published in a London paper 
at the time, but not by me. The information I got 
as to the paragraph which appeared in your columns 
was given by a gentleman holding a pubhe office, 
and who is not given to exaggeration. I have since, 
however, interviewed the slayer of the serpents, and 
he assures me that in his opinion the 35 inches re- 
ported by me was under the mark. He had no tape- 
line or foot-rule with him at the time, so his only 
recourse was to measure with his boots, of which the 
big snake exceeded three lengths. The man stands 
about 6 feet in height. He tells me he has had 
letters from Edinburgh, Glasgow, and other places, 
to all of which he replied, giving full particulars as 
to the size, colouring, &c., of the snake. Mr Murray’s 
full name, designation, and address were given at the 
time.—I am, «&e., Your CORRESPONDENT. 
