240 The Field Naturalises Quarterly Aug. 



Answers to Correspondents. 



Peakite, Derby. 



The paper to which you refer is full of misleading statements. The 

 Slow-worm, Angiiis fragilis, does not belong to the family of the 

 Skinks (the SctncidcE), but to the family Anguidce. Both families 

 belong to the sub-order Lacertce of the order Lacertilia, Lizards. If 

 by the Scaly Lizard is meant the Sand Lizard, Lacerta agilis, it is 

 unpardonable in the absence of any stated record to assume that it 

 is plentiful in some localities in the county. The Sand Lizard is prac- 

 tically confined to a few districts in the south of England. " Axolott " 

 is probably a misprint for "Axolotyl," or "Axolotl," the larval form 

 of Amblystovia., in which there are three pairs of external gills per- 

 sistent. Batrachians are, of course, not reptiles at all ; either true or 

 false, the term is synonymous with " Amphibia." Reptiles have a 

 covering of scales, and breathe from birth by lungs only, whilst 

 Amphibians in the young stage breathe by gills. Moreover, in recent 

 Amphibians the skull articulates with the first vertebra by two con- 

 dyles. It is quite common to find a somewhat savage disposition in 

 Slow-worms, especially in the breeding season. 



S. F., Edinburgh. 



Your friend is wrong in imagining that parr are a distinct species 

 of fish. They are a stage in the life-history of the salmon. At this 

 stage the young fish exhibit a barred colouration. It is quite true 

 that these parr can fertilise ova by depositing milt, but that alone 

 does not prove them a distinct species ; it merely signifies that the 

 young males are sexually mature. The point is, that the female parr 

 never develop to maturity unless they go down to the sea. They 

 return as grilse, enormously increased in size, from ounces to pounds 

 in weight, and may spawn on their return to fresh water. The 

 stages generally recognised are, in order of youth to adult fish, Fry, 

 Parr, Smolt, Grilse, Kelt, Salmon. 



The eel, on the other hand, spawns only in salt water ; and it is 

 said that the old eels, after spawning, do not return to fresh water. 

 The young elvers, as they are called, are seen ascending the rivers 

 in summer in thousands, but no old eels. They are able to wriggle 

 through wet grass, and so probably stock inland ponds. 



Fossil, Carlisle. 



Thanks for your kindly criticisms. It is quite impossible to deal 

 with every branch of field work in a single issue, but articles on 

 Geology and other subjects not yet dealt with will appear in due 

 course. The Botanical side of the F. N. Q. will also be more 

 developed soon, and several other of the suggestions you make are 

 also under consideration ; but you must remember that it takes some 



