NOTES AND QUERIES. 397 



singular that another rare hird, the Little Bittern (a specimen of which 

 I recorded in ■ The Field ' as having been taken near here seven years ago), 

 was also captured in a stable or cowshed. This bird (an adult male) is still 

 on view in the town. — Jas. Andrews (Swanage). 



[The above information is just what was required to settle the question 

 of identification, and we take this opportunity of remarking that it would 

 be well if correspondents, who do not claim to be experts, when reporting 

 the occurrence of a rare species, would state either their authority for the 

 name, or give very briefly the distinguishing characters upon which they 

 rely in their determination of the species. — Ed.] 



EEPTILIA. 



Dimensions of the Adder.— On July 14th I killed an Adder, Pelias 

 berus, near Ascot, of the following dimensions (are they not exceptionally 

 large?):— Length, Slfin. ; circumference in three places, 2Jin., 2|in., 

 2^ in.; head, II in- across; sixty-three black diamond marks on back, 

 148 scales on stomach. It was in the middle of casting its skin, and had 

 got it back from its head. I took all the old skin off, and, as it was not 

 damaged in the slightest by the blow I gave it on the head, it presents a 

 grand appearance in spirits. — G. V. Charlton (Somerset House, Ascot). 



[The dimensions are above the average, but we have seen one killed in 

 West Sussex that was 2 in. longer. — Ed.] 



I have one which I killed some years ago in Surrey, and which 

 measured, before being put into spirits, 26 in. ; and in the same year, and 

 the same locality, I saw two others killed, both of which were 24 in. in 

 length. These are no doubt exceptionally long, but I fancy are by no 

 means the "longest on record." It would be interesting to know the 

 dimensions of the largest which has hitherto been recorded. I may add 

 that my 26 in. specimen was measured by myself before it was quite dead. — 

 Geo. E. Lodge (5, Verulam Buildings, Gray's Inn). 



I have a preserved specimen of the Adder in my collection which 

 measures 28 in. in length and 3^ in. in girth. It is a female, and was 

 killed by my brother near Grantley Hall, the residence of Lord Grantley. 

 A male was killed at the same time, but it was not quite so large, and was 

 so much injured that it was not worth preserving. — James Carter (Burton 

 House, Masham). 



American Fur-Seals \ Correction,— On page 360, line 7, the number 

 of skins of Fur-Seals received from America in 1891, according to 

 Mr. Poland, should be 125,731, not 725,731 as printed. 



