46 BRITISH LIZARDS 



snakes in that country, lizards are not at all un- 

 common. Its local distribution in this country will 

 be dealt with later, but I would just say here that, 

 personally, I have not found this species in England 

 to be markedly restricted to mountainous counties. 

 Thus, while rather abundant in Norfolk, it is extremely 

 rare in the hills of Monmouthshire ; but the latter 

 county is so rich in " cover " that the small lizards 

 easily escape observation. It is peculiarly interest- 

 ing from the distribution point of view, inasmuch as it 

 is the only reptile to be found in Ireland, the sand 

 lizard as well as the slow-worm having apparently 

 come under the decree of banishment ascribed to 

 St. Patrick. Why this species alone should have 

 been permitted to set foot upon Irish soil is not quite 

 clear, but very likely the viviparous lizard preceded 

 the others in the spread of reptiles to the British Isles 

 from the Continent at a time when the mainland was 

 continuous from the Continent to Ireland. Ireland 

 then became cut off from Great Britain, and Great 

 Britain from the Continent, but in the case of Great 

 Britain the viviparous lizard had been followed by the 

 slow- worm and the sand lizard, as well as the three 

 species of snakes before the separation occurred. 

 Whether this is actually what took place or not, it 

 is one view which gives a feasible explanation of the 

 curious distribution of the British reptiles. 



On the Continent this common or viviparous lizard 

 is, as we have said, widely distributed, ranging " through 



