OF SELBORNE. 65 



I believe, but once in 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 Ray enumerates five. I 

 have not had an opportunity of ascertaining these ; but re- 

 member well to have seen, formerly, several beautiful green 

 lacerti on the sunny sandbanks near Farnham, in Surrey ; and 

 Ray admits there are such in Ireland^. 



mother, ready to be excluded." Surely the experiment might be tried, 

 and the question set at rest. T. B.] 



* [Our three species of British serpents, the viper, the ringed snake, 

 and the slowworm, live by preference on three very different kinds of 

 food, and inhabit, as a rule, a corresponding variety of situation. The 

 viper lives mostly on mice and other small mammifers, and is commonly 

 found on heaths and other comparatively dry places, where such food 

 most abounds; the common or ringed snake, an excellent swimmer, as its 

 name (iiatrix) implies, lives by preference on frogs, frequenting wet 

 situations, the neighbourhood of ponds and streams, where these Amphibia 

 inhabit ; and the slowworm frequents the herbage of underwood or 

 gardens, where they can obtain insects and the smaller shelless mollusca, 

 on which they ordinarily feed. T. B.] 



t [The vagueness and imperfection of White's knowledge of the Rep- 

 tilia and Amphibia are only to be accounted for by his strong prejudice 

 against them, which prevented him from either acquiring a technical 

 knowledge of the different species, or of observing their habits and phy- 

 siology. The species which I have myself seen at Selborne are the follow- 

 ing : Of Reptilia, the little viviparous lizard, Zootoca vivipara, which is 

 common on the sandy heath of Wolmer Forest ; the blindworm, Anguis 

 fragiUs} the common snake, Natrix torquata; the viper, Pelias berus. 

 Of Amphibia, the common frog, JRana temporaria] the common toad, 

 Bufo vulyaris, the natter-jack, JBufo calamita] the warty newt, Triton 

 crutatus ; the common smooth newt, Lissotriton punctatus j the palmated 

 smooth newt, Lissotriton palmipes. It is unnecessary now, and in this 

 work, to enter into any detail of the physiology of these animals; but a 

 few facts respecting one or two of them as occurring at Selborne may not 

 be out of place. Some years ago the natter-jack was by far the most 

 common species of toad in my garden, taking the place of the ordinary 

 species, which was then comparatively rare ; but for some years past not 



