10 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



[JANUARY 



1872 several bushels of snake eggs were found in a saw pit at 

 Hermitage, Hungerford, Berks, and in ten days time there were 

 destroyed in this pit about one hundred and fifty snakes and eleven 

 slow worms (Anguis fmgilis). 



Snakes hybernate during the winter in hollows at the roots of 

 trees, in banks, and under masses of foliage, and stacks of faggots in 

 woods. At this time they have been found in company with vipers, 

 all coiled together. 



The following is a description of the common snake : — A full-grown 

 snake will measure three feet in length ; occasionally it has been 

 known to reach four feet. The upper parts are usually of a greyish- 

 olive, with a greenish tinge, with two rows of small black spots along 

 the back, and some black spots or blotches along the sides. Behind 

 the head are two bright yellow spots, followed by two black spots or 

 beads. Underneath it is of a lead colour, occasionally mottled with 

 greenish yellow. The ground colour varies considerably, sometimes 

 being dark and sometimes very light, with the markings deep black. 

 The snake may easily be distinguished from the other species by the 

 two bright yellow spots behind the head, which are distinctly visible 

 as it glides along. The scales on the head are few and large. The 

 tail ends in a tapering fashion, differing in this respect from the viper 

 or adder, whose tail terminates somewhat bluntly. 

 Fyfield, Abingdon, December, 1888. 



Reports of Societies. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



December $th, 1888. — Dr. D. Sharp, F.L.S., President, in the chair. 



Mr. B. A. Bower, of Eltham, Kent, was elected a Fellow of the Society. 



Mr. W. F. Kirby exhibited, for the Rev. Dr. Walker, a variety of the female of 

 Ornithoptera Brookiana; he also exhibited, for Major Partridge, an undetermined 

 species of the genus Hadena, captured last summer in the isle of Portland. 



Mr. R. South exhibited a series of specimens of Tortrix piceana, from a pine 

 wood in Surrey ; also melanic forms of Tortrix podana, from St. John's Wood. 



Prof. Meldola exhibited, for Dr. Laver, a melanic specimen of Catocala nupta, 

 taken last September at Colchester. 



Mr. E. B. Poulton exhibited preserved larva? of Sphinx convolvuli showing the 

 extreme dark and light forms of the species. 



Mr. M'Lachlan called attention to a plate, representing species of the genus 

 Agrotis, executed by photography, illustrating a memoir by Dr. Max Standfuss, in 



