vii.] LIZARDS AND NATTERJACKS. 171 



before the creatures, which certainly spread from 

 southern and warmer climates, had time to get there. 

 You know, of course, that we have a few reptiles 

 in England. But you may not be aware that, as 

 soon as you cross the Channel, you find many more 

 species of reptiles than here, as well as those which 

 you find here. The magnificent green lizard which 

 rattles about like a rabbit in a French forest, is never 

 found here ; simply because it had not worked north- 

 ward till after the Channel was formed. But there 

 are three reptiles peculiar to this part of England 

 which should be most interesting to a Hampshire 

 zoologist. The one is the sand lizard (L. stirpium), 

 found on Bourne-heath, and, I suspect, in the South 

 Hampshire moors likewise a North European and 

 French species. Another, the Coronella Icevis, a harm- 

 less French and Austrian snake, which has been found 

 about me, in North Hants and South Berks, now about 

 fifteen or twenty times. I have had three specimens 

 from my own parish. I believe it not to be uncommon ; 

 and most probably to be found, by those who will look, 

 both in the New Forest and Woolmer. The third is 

 the Natterjack, or running toad (Bufo Rubeta), a most 

 beautifully-spotted animal, with a yellow stripe down 

 his back, which is common with us at Eversley, and 

 common also in many moorlands of Hants and Surrey ; 

 and, according to Fleming, on heaths near London, and 

 as far north-east as Lincolnshire ; in which case it will 

 belong to the Germanic fauna. Now, here again we 

 have cases of animals which have just been able to get 

 hither before the severance of England and France ; 

 aud which, not being reinforced from the rear, have 

 been forced to stop, in small and probably decreasing 



