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THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



British Museum, which had been taken near the flag-staff at Bournemouth. 

 In 1862 the smooth snake again turned up, and several specimens were taken 

 in various parts of the country. In 1872 it once more attracted the attention 

 of British naturalists, specimens having been procured both in Hants and 

 Dorset. 



The favourite haunts of the smooth snake seem to be the damp and low- 

 lying parts of heaths and woods. It has occurred in the following English 

 counties: — Devon, Dorset, Hants, Kent, Surrey and Sussex. It is, I believe, 

 the opinion of most of our naturalists who take an interest in reptiles that 

 the smooth snake is by no means rare, but that it has been mistaken for the 

 the little red variety of the viper or adder (Pelias berus). For the means of 

 distinction between this and other British snakes the reader will please to 

 refer to the end of the paper. 



In appearance the smooth snake is somewhat striking. That accomplished 

 naturalist, the late Frank Buckland, thus speaks of one which he had in his 

 possesion : — "The head is, strange to say, highly iridescent, shining in the 

 sun like brightest dark emerald coloured velvet ; the scales are as slippery as 

 polished horn ; the eye small and very bright ; the general appearance very 

 like the head of a lizard." 



The food of this species consists almost entirely of the nimble little scaly 

 lizards (Zootoca vivipara) so common on furzy heaths. To retain these little 

 wrigglers, it has a fang at the hinder end of the jaws. The possession of this 

 fang is one means by which Coronella Icevis may be distinguished from the 

 common snake. According to a communication addressed to the " Field " 

 newspaper by the late Mr. Edward Newman, this snake when in captivity 

 generally takes the lizard by the tail, which latter appendage immediately 

 snaps off, and is swallowed by the snake, who then retires to digest the 

 morsel, leaving its tail-less victim unmolested for the present. 



This species drinks a great deal of water and is said by Dr. Gunther to 

 crawl up the furze and low bushes to lick the rain and dew of the leaves. 



The smooth snake although perfectly harmless and destitute of poison 

 fangs has yet a very menacing manner when interfered with. One met with 

 in Dorsetshire in 1872 on being "disturbed quickly approached the intruder, 

 with head erect, and tongue rapidly moving in and out, putting on a very 

 defiant look/' Mr. Buckland says : — " When first caught the temper is 

 decidedly bad, for my 'lady' " (a pet smooth snake in his posession) "turned 

 round and fastened on to my hand. I knew very well she had no poison 

 fangs or the experiment would have been dangerous." 



The smooth snake is a viviparous reptile, producing at the end of the 

 summer several perfectly grown young ones. VYe will again borrow from 



