RIVER GARDENS, ETC. 



gerous reptiles, Ireland claiming to be, through the 

 "interposition of St. Patrick," entirely free from rep- 

 tiles of all kinds. The little Land Lizard (Lacerta 

 agilis) is, however, common in that country ; and 

 Frogs were artificially introduced by an enthusiastic 

 naturalist in the beginning of the last century. It is 

 to a Dr. Gwythers that Ireland appears to be indebted 

 for this addition to her natural productions. He first 

 took over a large number of Progs and placed them 

 in the ditches of University Park, but all perished ; 

 and it was not till he bethought himself of obtaining 

 some bottles of the spawn that he succeeded in 

 establishing a breed of Frogs in Ireland. This hap- 

 pened in the time of Dean Swift, who, speaking of 

 English abuses in general, says they multiply like a 

 colony of Erogs, in allusion to the successful experi- 

 ment of Dr. Gwythers. Every attempt to naturalize 

 the Hedge Snake has, however, up to the present 

 time, failed ; all the attempts of a later naturalist 

 to naturalize it in Ireland having hitherto proved 

 abortive. 



There are two kinds of Newts, or Water Lizards, 

 suited to the Aquarium. The larger is Triton 

 cristatus, the skin of which is tuberculated like 

 that of the Toad, and may be said to form the 

 Toad type of the Water Lizard tribe. ^This crea- 



