The Fauna. 73 



such a degree, when the animal is alarmed, that the 

 tail actually breaks off when seized by any one, it has 

 received the specific name oi fragilis. 



Lizards. — While these creatures cannot be re- 

 garded as plentiful in this locality, they are by no 

 means uncommon. We have frequently discovered 

 them, on dissection of predatory birds, and notably 

 magpies, doubled up in the gizzards. 



Referring to the Amphibia, we may mention at the 



outset that the Newt and Frog may both be included 



in the bill of fare of birds, wild ducks and herons 



especially. Frogs and newts are plentiful in the 



ponds on the Braid Hills, as well as at Dunsappie, 



Duddingston, &c. To our mind, there are few pets 



more interesting than newts. The male is easily 



known, at least in the breeding season, from the crest 



down the entire length of his back, as well as from 



his more brilliant colours. Transfer a worm into 



a glass globe beside a pair of newts, and as a rule 



each will seize an end and devour it till they come 



to close quarters, when a "tug of war" is almost 



certain to ensue. How they twist and wriggle round 



E 2 



