NOTES AND QUEBIES. 359 



Snakes are rarely seen, adults or half -grown specimens being com- 

 paratively scarce. 



On November 1st and 15th of last year I collected just over 550 

 egg-shells (T. natrix) from one manure-heap at Hensot. At least 

 500 of these had produced Snakes, yet there were only three young 

 Snakes, and one Toad in the heap. What had become of the 500 ? 

 (I refrain from suggesting the solitary Toad had accommodated 

 them.) Not one was observed on the surrounding hedge-banks 

 during the following spring or summer. Climate and animal enemies 

 must have accounted for the majority — birds are no doubt largely 

 responsible. If any of your readers have any notes on the enemies 

 of young Snakes or Adders I should be glad to hear of them. — 

 Arthur Loveridge (Kilternan, Llandaff). 



PI SCES. 



Notes by an Angler.* — Bream. — Two species of this fish are 

 found in the Mole — the White Bream (Blicca bjoemka f ) and the 

 Common or Carp Bream (Abramis brama). Some local anglers 

 aver that there are three kinds of this fish to be found, and instance 

 what they call the Golden Bream, a variety of A. brama. The 

 white or silvery species is found in the shallower waters, in the 

 deeper holes A. brama is dominant. Large shoals of the latter 

 species are to be seen on fine summer days swimming at or near the 

 surface, but always near or above the deeper holes or water they 

 frequent. I have seen them on some few occasions thus patrol their 

 haunts from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but this is unusual and their time for 

 this appearance is, as a rule, from about midday to near 1 p.m. As 

 they sail about in battalions (not aimlessly but above their haunts) 

 their ranks are frequently joined by a large Boach, much larger than 

 I ever hooked, who keeps in the ranks and accompanies the Bream 

 patrol. At times a great splash is heard, as a whole cohort suddenly 

 dives, their greatest fright, so far as I have observed and apart from 

 a man on the bank, being the flight over them of some large bird — 

 that of a water-hen is sufficient to cause a stampede. When 



* Continued from p. 320. 



f In the sixties of last century, when angling was pursued in the timber 

 basins of the Surrey Commercial Docks at Rotherhithe, this fish was 

 abundant in those resorts as I well remember, and also in the old Surrey 

 Canal, which then ran through flourishing market gardens, the entomological 

 features of which were well known to the late Edward Newman, who 

 founded this Journal. These regions are now commercial wastes. 



