46 WHITE 



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 opportunity of ascertaining these; but remember 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. 



NOTES 



1 Toads lay eggs as frogs do. Every dweller in the country will be famil- 

 iar with the masses of jelly-like substance in the ditches which constitutes 

 the spawn of frogs. That of toads forms long strings instead of masses. 

 G. C. D. 



2 There seems to be little doubt that the secretion which exudes from the 

 tubercles on the toad's skin is very offensive, and might irritate a delicate 

 skin. Dogs will not mouth them a second time. G. C. D. 



8 This pretty green frog, which lives on a tree, and is sometimes kept as 

 a pet, is not considered a native species. Mr. J. G. Wood says he saw a 

 colony of them in a hole in an apple-tree at Marston, near Oxford ; but 

 they must have been introduced there, or strayed from some one who kept 

 them. G. C. D. 



4 There is but one species of newt, which goes through all its changes in 

 the water. The male has a beautiful waving crest along its back and tail. 

 When young it has gills ; but when it reaches the perfect state it has to rise 

 constantly to the surface to take in a supply of air. It is possible that by 

 the term land-eft, White may refer to the lizard, which belongs to a different 

 family. Most country people of the lower order are dreadfully afraid of 

 newts or effets, and think their bite is deadly. As a fact, however, they are 

 quite harmless. G. C. D. 



5 The blind-worm or slow-worm does not need a blow to induce it to cast 

 off its tail. A sudden fright is sufficient. While you are looking at the tail 

 wriggling and jumping about, the body quietly makes its escape. G. C. D. 



6 The common snake takes readily to the water, and swims sometimes 

 altogether beneath it, and sometimes with the head and neck above. I have 

 very often seen them doing this ; and although I knew they were harmless, 

 I did not like them diving close by me when I was swimming. There is 

 no English species of "water-snake." G. C. D. 



LETTER XVIII 



SELBORNE, July 27^, 1768. 



DEAR SIR, I received your obliging and communicative 

 letter of June 28th, while I was on a visit at a gentleman's 

 house, where I had neither books to turn to, nor leisure to 



