FISH. 73 



a year ; or, rather, but only just at one season of the year. 

 Country people talk much of a water-snake, but, I am pretty 

 sure, without any reason; for the common snake (coluber 

 natrix) delights much to sport in the water, perhaps with a 

 view to procure frogs and other food.* 



I cannot well guess how you are to make out your twelve 

 species of reptiles, unless it be by the various species, or 

 rather varieties, of our lacerti, of which Eay enumerates five. 

 I have not had opportunity of ascertaining these, but 

 remember well to have seen, formerly, several beautiful 

 green lacerti on the sunny sand-banks near Parnham, in 

 Surrey ; and Eay admits there are such in Ireland. 



LETTEE XVIII. 



TO THE SAME. 



SELBORNE, July 27, 1768. 



DEAR SIR, I received your obliging and communicative 

 letter of June the 28th, while I was on a visit at a gentle- 

 man's house, where I had neither books to turn to, nor 

 leisure to sit down to return you an answer to many 



Queries, which I wanted to resolve in the best manner that 

 am able. 



A person, by my order, has searched our brooks, but 

 could find no such fish as the gasterosteus rungitius ; he 

 found gasterosteus aculeatus in plenty. This morning, in a 

 basket, I packed a little earthern pot full of wet moss, and 

 in it some sticklebacks, male and female, the females big 



* The common snake often takes to the water and swims well and 

 boldly. Not only do they swim across the wide parts of the river Ouse, but 

 they have been seen to swim to the Isle of Wight from the Hampshire coast, 

 and have occasionally been seen swimming in Portsmouth Harbour. 



As a proof of the accuracy of Mr. White's observation, that snakes pro- 

 bably go into the water to procure food, I may mention, that a gentleman 

 lately saw one of these reptiles in a stream and under some weeds, conse- 

 quently under water, watching for prey. Having observed it for some minutes, 

 he took it out of the water, when it not only emitted a most unpleasant stench, 

 but struck at him several times like a viper. ED. 



