THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



taken some very nice L. mulHstrigmia^ but we were evidently late, for we 

 were not successful in taking anything, although Harker saw a multistrigaria, 

 several progemmaria and one cescularia sitting on the hedges, which, however, 

 took flight as soon as the light of the lamp was turned on them. In the 

 evening our hostess brought us a living specimen of Alucita hexadactyla, 

 which she had taken in the house. Monday being too wet to do much 

 collecting we went to see one of the salt mines at Northwich, and on our 

 way there we saw a public-house all screwed together, and being bodily 

 lifted up five or six feet; this we afterwards heard is quite a common 

 occurrence, in fact the houses are built for the special purpose on frames, 

 and have to be raised every six or seven years on account of the salt being 

 washed away beneath them, which loosens the ground and causes a sinking 

 of the foundation. We were disappointed with the mine on account of it 

 being so dark ; had we seen it when illuminated there is no doubt it would 

 have been a grand sight, as everywhere the salt rock has crystaline surfaces 

 which reflect the light, but with one candle apiece we did not make a great 

 illumination. The men who work these mines are nearly naked, their covering 

 being a thin pair of drawers, stockings, boots, and cap. It was exceedingly 

 interesting to see the blasting and different ways of working. This ended our 

 collecting excursion, for the evening of Monday was wet, and we took 

 nothing. Although we found sallow a delusion and treacle a fraud, consider- 

 ing the time of the year and the backwardness of the season we think we 

 had no reason to be disappointed with our excursion to Hartford. 



Liverpool, 24th April, 1885. 



THE SMOOTH SNAKE, 



Coronella Icevis, 



By W. H. WARNER. 



The boggy parts of the Hampshire heaths have the honour of being the 

 favourite habitat of a species of snake, which till within the last thirty years 

 or so escaped the notice of our British naturalists. The first mention made 

 of the smooth snake as a British species is in Sowerby's Miscellany, where a 

 snake taken in Dumfries in Scotland many years ago by a Mr. J. W. 

 Simmons is figured, described and named Coluber Dumfrisiensis. Without 

 doubt this was a specimen of the smooth snake. In June, 1854 a specimen 

 of Icevis was taken by Mr. "Frederick Bond at St. Leonard's, near Eingwood 

 in the New Forest, but its capture was not made public till 1859, in which 

 year the Honourable Arthur Russell sent a specimen of the female to the 



