188 BRITISH LIZARDS 



Dumnore and on Airth Sounds close to the Firth of 

 Forth. 



"As regards Scotland in general, I should describe 

 the distribution of both species as almost universal, 

 and the excepted of more interest than the occupied 

 localities. I can scarcely name a county in Scotland 

 which I have visited in which they are not to be met 

 with, and they are common even on the isolated rock 

 of Ailsa Craig. In Harris and Lewis they swarm. I 

 have seen them all over Sutherland. I have not seen 

 them in Orkney nor Shetland. The colouring of the 

 slow-worm which I saw on Ailsa Craicr was brown-steel 

 colour ; such as I have seen in Sutherland are blue-steel 

 colour." — J. A. Haryie-Brown, Dunipace, Larbert. 



" The common lizard or ' Ask ' is generally distributed 

 throughout the west of Scotland in dry heathy places, 

 stone heaps, walls, and ruined buildings. 



" The slow-worm is very common amongst dead 

 wood and decayed leaves, quarry refuse, and stone 

 heaps, preferring dry situations. 



" The obscure and retiring habits of these creatures 

 induce people to believe that they are individually 

 scarce. This is far from being tlie case, as they may 

 still be found fairly numerously in spite of the relent- 

 less persecution to wliich they are subjected." — MSS. 

 of the late Mr. Alfred Luss, Dumbarton. 



" The slow-worm and the viviparous lizard may be 

 called frequent in all the following counties : — Lanark, 

 Kenfrew, Ayr, Stirling, Argyll, Dumbarton, and Bute. 



