io6 The Field Naturalisfs Quarterly May 



of my cages devour a dozen slugs one after the other at an 

 evening meal in this way. A few of these reptiles in a 

 garden would materially assist the gardener if he could 

 only be persuaded that they were not venomous serpents, 

 and could be induced to refrain his hand from battering 

 these most harmless creatures to death on every possible 

 occasion. 



All our snakes and lizards cast their sloughs in the spring, 

 but do not make a meal of them afterwards, as some am- 

 phibians do. Whether the slough is cast whole or in several 

 pieces depends, in my opinion, upon the circumstances of 

 the reptile at the moment. The casting off is a mechanical 

 process, and the very delicate slough is easily torn by any 

 protruding point against which the animal happens to come 

 in contact. The eye-scale, which in the snakes does duty 

 for an eyelid, is cast along with the rest of the slough. After 

 the sloughing is completed the reptile is very active, and 

 generally proceeds to feed at once ; while for a few days 

 previous to the sloughing no food is taken, and the snake 

 or lizard is torpid and sulky. 



At the end of spring pairing takes place, and soon after- 

 wards the oviparous species deposit their eggs, concerning 

 which we shall have something to say in our next number. 



The season of spring, then, is essentially one of renewed 

 functional activity. The processes of respiration, circula- 

 tion, digestion, secretion of venom, and sloughing, all of 

 which have been in abeyance during the long winter 

 hibernation, are once more in full activity, and the field 

 naturalist who turns his attention to the reptile group will 

 find plenty to observe and study. 



May I close this article with an appeal to all readers of 

 this journal to use their influence with those with whom they 

 come in contact to secure freedom from persecution for our 

 harmless British reptiles. It cannot be too generally known 

 that only one — the adder — can under any circumstances be 

 dangerous, and if all who employ gardeners, game-keepers, 

 farm-labourers, and other servants would impress this fact 

 upon them, something might be done to spare far more 

 of these wonderful and beautiful creatures. 



