REPTILES 

 AND BATRACHIANS 



As in the case of the fishes, no Hst of the reptiles of this county 

 exists beyond that m ]o\\t\ M-ortoTi?, Natural History of Northamptonshire, 

 I J 12. This account is interesting as containing the first allusion, so far 

 as I am aware, to the viviparous nature of the common lizard' which, 

 as customary at that early period, was confounded with the newts or 

 efts. Morton spoke of the herpetological fauna as a very poor one, and 

 the information obtained from Mr. Lionel E. Adams of Stafford, and 

 from a young enthusiastic observer, Mr. J. L. Monk, who resided for 

 some years in Northampton, has not resulted in any additions. Only the 

 more common and generally distributed English reptiles and batrachians 

 have been met in the county and there is no authentic record of the 

 natterjack toad {Bufo calamita) or of the palmated newt {Molge palmata). 

 The ringed snake appears to be fairly common in most parts of the 

 county ; captures of the viper are recorded from Harleston Heath and 

 Castle Ashby,^ whilst the slow-worm is decidedly rare, except perhaps in 

 Salcey Forest. 



REPTILES 



LACERTILIA 



1. Common Lizard. Lacerta vivlpara, Jacq. 



2. Slow-worm, Anguis Jragt/is, Linn. 



OPHIDIA 



3. Common or Ringed Snake. Tropidonotui natrix, Linn. [Natrix torquata, Ray). 



4. Common Viper or Adder. Vipera berus, Linn. 



BATRACHIANS 



ECAUDATA 



1. Common Frog. Rana temporaria, Linn. 



2. Common Toad. Bufo vulgaris, Laur. 



CAUDATA 



3. Great Crested Newt. Molge crhtato, Laur. 



4. Common Newt. Molge vulgaris, Linn. {Triton punctatus, Latr.). 



1 ' They are found with young ones formed in their Belly, and are really Viviparous^: Morton, 

 op. cit. p. 440. 



* The wholly black viper, so rare in England, appears to have been found in Morton's time. He 

 says, p. 442 : 'A viper is still more uncommon, being no where found with us, unless about Sir John 

 Shaw's Decoy below Pekirk ; in which Place as I am told, the Viper-Catchers sometimes meet with one 

 all over black, amongst others of the common Colour.' 



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