British Reptiles and Amphibians 



taste liquor afore evening/' he remarked. We naturally 

 commended his principles, and then strolled leisurely 

 down the village street. We had followed our guide, 

 and had walked nearly two miles, when our friend 

 stepped over the fence and stalked energetically up 

 a steep embankment. There was the rectory, just 

 beyond the hill. When we reached the crest our 

 guide gave us a lecture on Roman forts, indicating 

 that we stood in the centre of one of these ancient 

 landmarks. Cutting a twig from an adjacent beech- 

 tree, this worthy led us towards a heap of stones which 

 seemed to be the debris from the arable land beyond. 

 He probed this heap for a time in vain, but after a 

 while the head of a Slow-worm appeared, only to be 

 withdrawn. Still he probed with his rude wand, and 

 we were ultimately rewarded by seeing no fewer than 

 eight Slow-worms glide out into the neighbouring 

 vegetation. My companions secured seven of the 

 eight, three full-grown specimens and four about half 

 matured. 



From this place he led us towards a farm, with fields 

 lying beneath it, on a southern slope. A rude cartway 

 led from this homestead down into the valley, where 

 we could see a stream cross the county. He halted 

 as we neared the farmsteading, and at a gravel-quarry 

 turned sharp off, probing the loose stones with his 

 staff. Nothing resulted from this, however, and our 

 party marched down the cart-track. We had not gone 

 fifty yards when our guide lifted a dozing Slow-worm, 



