350 BRITISH SERPENTS. 
absolutely harmless, is the only one of the three 
named which grows to 3 feet or more in length, it 
may have travelled to the North; but true evidence 
of that fact has yet to be eiven, and it is a curious 
circumstance that all the large serpents killed in the 
North are lost or cannot be produced for identifica- 
tion by competent authorities. 
I am glad to hear that the serpent which Mr 
Beattie referred to is in existence, and as Mr Wood 
has kindly offered to show it to any one, perhaps 
those interested may see whether it measures as has 
been alleged. I will take an early opportunity to do 
so myself personally. 
Mr Porteous’s experience is that of many others 
reported—it was not measured at the time, and he, 
after fifty years, “considered that it was 35 or 36 
inches im length.” Here, in this case, although he 
says it was an adder, the creature was neither meas- 
ured nor preserved, No; snakes have been seen often 
Ss 
in the Highlands of gigantic and grotesque shapes, 
but Tam afraid to suggest the cause !—I am, &e., 
Kon, 
Guiascow, July 27, 1900. 
Stk,—I am very pleased imdeed to see the letter of 
my venerable friend the Rev. Dr Stewart (“ Nether 
Lochaber”) in a recent issue of your paper on the 
above subject, which to a certain extent confirms 
some former statements of mine regarding the adder 
