2 i 2 The Field Naturalist's Quarterly August 



specially favoured. This lizard is of interest to the student 

 of British reptiles, inasmuch as it forms the favourite article 

 of diet of the rare Smooth snake (Coronclla austrzaca), which 

 is therefore found in the same localities. Mr. Douglas 

 English's photos represent both the male and the female 

 of this species. Southport, in Lancashire, is also described 

 as a habitat of the Sand lizard, but with the exception of 

 these places its occurrence is very problematical. 



The order Lacertilia or Lizards is one of great interest, 

 especially when considered in relation to that of the Ophidia 

 or Serpents. It is a very large order in numbers, and 

 yet does not contain a single poisonous species, with the 

 doubtful exception of the Mexican Heloderm. It contains 

 members resembling snakes in so far as they lack limbs, but 

 resembling the true lizards in the arrangements of the jaws. 

 It was in this order that the existence of the rudimentary 

 median eye was first described in reptiles, an organ which 

 to this day reaches a fairly high development in that extra- 

 ordinary creature the New Zealand Sphenodon, sole living 

 representative of an extinct group. It includes oviparous 

 and viviparous species, ground species, and arboreal types, 

 and amongst the many other problems of the group is that 

 of the wonderful range of colour variation possessed by 

 some of its members. Some of these matters have been 

 already mentioned in these pages, and we hope to return 

 to some of the others at a future date. 



Colour in Fishes. 



By F. G. Aflalo, F.R.G.S. 



It was while watching an unceasingly active shoal of her- 

 rings and mackerel the other day in the Brighton Aquarium 

 that I was inspired with the subject of my contribution to 

 this number of the F. N. Q., for the brilliant blue and 

 silver colouring of these surface-swimming fishes contrasted 

 with the dull, sandy-hued upper surface of the plaice and 

 dab with striking effect. Colour protection has been closely 

 studied in the birds, beasts, and reptiles ; yet I venture to 



