MERSEY PROVINCE 181 



one time I thought the sand lizard occurred with us, 

 but I now find that I was mistaken." — E. Newstead, 

 Grosvenor Museum, Chester. 



LANCASHIRE, CHESHIRE, AND DERBYSHIRE. 



" The slow-worm occurs in each county ; the sand 

 lizard in Lancashire and Cheshire, and the viviparous 

 lizard also in Lancashire and Cheshire. 



" Slow-iuorm. — In the cultivated districts this species 

 is less common than formerly, owing to so many being 

 cut to pieces by mowing machines ; but in remoter 

 places, e.g. the Derbyshire dales, it is still abundant. In 

 Lathkill Dale we have seen a score in a day. Its local 

 name in North Lancashire is ' Lang-worm ' {i.e. Long- 

 worm), which is also a local name for the grass snake. 



" Viviparous lizard. — This species is becoming rarer 

 on account of the breaking-up of the peat bogs, but 

 may still be found wherever there is a stretch of bog 

 or mossland. On Chat Moss, near Manchester, it is 

 still quite numerous. The local names are 'Land 

 Asker ' or ' Ground Ask,' or more usually in this part 

 of Lancashire ' Chucktail.' 



''Sand lizard. — Occurs here and there along the 

 Lancashire and Cheshire coasts amongst the sand- 

 dunes. It is now most abundant in the neighbour- 

 hood of Birkdale. Neither of us has ever seen this 

 species inland, but only along the coast-line. The 

 local names for it are ' Sand Dragon,' ' Green Asker,' 

 and 'Chucktail.' 



