British Reptiles : Lizards 



Sussex or Caithness, erasing for the time the waterways 

 between. 



But while these and other instances may thus be 

 quoted, the position is entirely altered where many 

 species are concerned. In naming the Brown Hare as 

 abundant over the length and breadth of Britain, one 

 has only to think of its compeer the Blue Hare, 

 which is absolutely confined to the higher heather-lands. 

 The Golden Eagle declines to dwell where the Tree- 

 Creeper hunts for insects, or where the Linnet sings a-top 

 the gorse-bush. It is only upon the surface of the loch 

 that the diver Ducks pass their days ; only by that 

 same loch are many rare insects found. Thus, while 

 each individual species lives under its own special con- 

 ditions, the widely distributed species are merely the 

 overflow in numbers that find provender and shelter 

 over a wider space than others. Lizards come under 

 the confined areas, and the Viviparous species is like 

 unto its neighbours. Strange to say, this is said to be 

 the only reptile that has taken kindly to Irish soil. 



In colour this Lizard is of a uniform warm red, with 

 tiny spots alternately light and dark. Underneath, the 

 male has a rich orange hue with well-defined black 

 spots. In the female the under parts are yellowish, 

 touched with a few black markings. Broadly speaking, 

 this reptile prefers dry bank-sides, open pastures, 

 and grass-lands to shady places. It certainly courts 

 sandy hillsides and such exposed areas rather than 

 low-lying, damp ground. During the midsummer 



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