98 THE VIVARIUM. 
English Smooth Snake (Coronella austriaca), the latter preferring 
the former as its favourite food. 
This Lizard varies somewhat as regards colour. Speaking 
roughly, that of the male is principally green, and that -of the 
female grey, spotted with white. The following is Mr. Boulenger’s 
description: ‘“‘ Young, greyish brown above, with longitudinal 
series of white, black-edged ocelli; no light vertebral streak ; 
lower surfaces whitish, immaculate. Adult female, brown or 
greyish above, the vertebral zone darker than the sides of the 
back, with large dark brown spots with a central white shaft or 
round spot ; usually the larger spots form three longitudinal series 
on the body; belly cream-coloured, with or without black spots. 
Male during the breeding-season, green on the sides and lower 
surfaces, rarely also on the back; sides dark spotted, usually with 
lighter ocelli; lower surfaces more or less abundantly spotted 
with black. A form (Z. rubra) is distinguished by the unspotted 
reddish-brown or brick-red back.” 
The variety of this Lizard, known as exigua, has, when young, 
“three well-marked, light, longitudinal streaks along the back, 
and a series of whitish ocelli on the sides; some specimens uniform 
olive-ereen, lower surfaces whitish, unspotted. The dorsal 
streaks of the young constantly persist in the adult female. 
|The adult male is frequently entirely green above, dotted or 
spotted with black, with or without white ocelli on the sides ; 
lower surfaces greenish, black spotted.” 
L. agilis in confinement may be treated in the same way as L. 
viridis, and be fed upon similar food. It will, however, more 
readily eat the small garden worm than its larger relative. 
The very interesting Lizard known as the Common or Vivi- 
parous Lizard (Lacerta vivipwra, Fig. 41) is common nearly all 
over the rural parts of England, and yet people who have not 
learnt to see them or hear them do not notice them. I have read 
somewhere—I cannot now remember where—that a naturalist 
making a survey of England in regard to Reptiles, came to the 
conclusion that the common Lizards in number equalled at least 
the population of this country. 
I have pointed these interesting creatures out to my friends, 
and have shown them the specimens I have caught during a walk, 
