NOTES AND QUERIES. 273 



somewhat deeper black, so as to be discernible from the rest of the body. 

 I at that time thought it was only an accidental variety of the Common 

 Viper, with respect to colour, but Mr. Berkenhout, in his ■ Outlines of 

 Natural History of Great Britain,' describes the Black Viper as a distinct 

 species, under the name of Coluber prester, and says it is entirely black, 

 tail very short, scutae 153, scales 32. Exceedingly poisonous. On the 

 4th of September, 1794, another of these creatures was killed, from which 

 I made a drawing, and the following remarks. Its length from the nose 

 to the tip of the tail was 21 inches and a half, and in the thickest part its 

 size was somewhat larger than a man's thumb. Its colour was exactly 

 the same as in the foregoing. Its tail was very short, being only about two 

 inches in length, and furnished with 32 squamae or scales, as described by 

 Linnaeus; the abdominal scutae were about 150, as near as I could count 

 them. On one side of the upper jaw I discovered a long sharp-pointed 

 tooth, or fang, with two shorter ones close to it on each side, as represented 

 in the maagin, and, tho' I failed to discover it, make no doubt but there 

 was the same apparatus on the other side. If I was not deceived (and 

 I think I was not) in the appearance of this creature's poison-fang being 

 assisted by two other shorter ones (as I have represented), and the Common 

 Viper, Coluber berus, has only one poison-fang on each side of its upper 

 jaw, it may account for the bite of this creature being more dangerous, and 

 also remove all doubt with with respect to its being a distinct species." 



If not an individual malformation, it would surely be sufficient to 

 constitute the reptile in question a distinct species from Vipera berus. 

 I think it is quite worthy of investigation, and you may possibly think the 

 extract worthy of insertion in * The Zoologist.' — William Borrer (Cowfold, 

 Horsham). 



INSECTS. 



Abundance of Cynthia cardui in South Hants.— It maybe interesting 

 to some readers of * The Zoologist ' to know that the Painted Lady, Cynthia 

 cardui, is extremely abundant in the Fareham district of South Hants. 

 1 noticed, first of all, about six of these butterflies at Portchester on May 

 25th. Since then the numbers have been increasing. On enquiring, 

 I find that they are very common throughout this neighbourhood. May 

 25th is considered rather an early date for the appearance of this species, 

 as the perfect insect usually appears in June. — Alec Goldney Headley 

 (Portchester). 



The Mangel Wurzel Fly. — We are indebted to the Secretary of the 

 Board of Agriculture for the following : — " The Board of Agriculture are 

 receiving complaints of a somewhat extensive attack of the Mangel Wurzel 

 Fly. A leaflet describing the insect and suggesting possible remedies will 

 be issued immediately. Meantime it may be useful to remind growers of 



ZOOLOGIST. JULY, 1892. Y 



