REPTILES 

 AND BATRACHIANS 



Very little is recorded of the reptiles of Hertfordshire, and of their 

 distribution in the county still less has been ascertained. The only 

 species of which the writer can find a published record are the slow- 

 worm (A nguis fragilis] and the grass snake (Tropidonotus natrix). It is 

 however most improbable that any species will be added to the follow- 

 ing list. The list of batrachians is also probably complete, but here 

 again scarcely anything is known of the distribution of the species 

 within the county. The common frog (Rana temporaria) and the 

 natterjack toad (Bufo calamita) are the only forms of which there is any 

 actual record. 



REPTILES 



LACERTILIA 



OPHIDIA 



1. Common Lizard. Lacerta vivipara, Jacq. 



The common or viviparous lizard is almost 

 ubiquitous. It may frequently be seen darting 

 into our hedge-banks or basking in the sun on 

 our sandy commons, but is very wary, not 

 allowing itself to be closely approached. Mr. 

 Alan F. Grossman says that it is ' common on 

 Berkhamsted Common,' and the same may 

 be said of Chipperfield Common, Royston 

 Heath, and other similar tracts of uncultivated 

 land. About fifteen years ago, when the pre- 

 sent writer was residing at Wansford House, 

 Watford, one much more decidedly green in 

 colour than usual came into his garden. It 

 was not disturbed, but soon disappeared. 



2. Slow-worm. Anguis fragilis, Linn. 



Of this common species, also known as the 

 blind-worm, we have only one record. A 

 specimen which had not long cast its skin 

 was captured at Watford about May ist, 

 1886, and was handed over to Mr. Arthur 

 Stradling, 1 who recorded it with the following 

 species. 



1 Trans. Herts Nat. Hist. Soc., vol. iv. p. no 

 (.887). 



191 



3. Grass Snake. Tropidonotus natrix, Linn. 



(Natrix toryuata, Ray.) 



The grass or ringed snake is probably not 

 uncommon in the county, but the only pub- 

 lished record we have is of one seen near 

 Aldenham in May, 1886, by Mr. T. Villiers. 

 It was rather a large one, being 4 feet long, 

 and had left its winter quarters earlier than 

 might have been expected in the cold weather 

 then prevailing. Its occurrence was recorded 

 by Mr. Arthur Stradling, the well-known 

 herpetologist, who resided for some years in 

 Watford, and was twice President of the Hert- 

 fordshire Natural History Society. About 

 twenty years ago a ringed snake was found 

 near the river Ver at Kingsbury, St. Albans. 



4. Viper. Vipera berus. Linn. 



It is probable that the viper or adder, which 

 is the only venomous serpent we have, is 

 rapidly being exterminated in the county, for 

 whenever one is mentioned it is stated to have 

 been killed. A specimen found some years 

 ago in the parish of Kensworth, Herts, is in 

 the possession of Mr. James Saunders of 

 Luton, for whom it was preserved. 



