REPTILES 

 AND BATRACHIANS 



The county is not among the districts most favoured by Reptiles 

 or Batrachians. It was ascertained by Captain Stanley Flower, now 

 head of the Zoological Gardens at Cairo, that the scarce sand lizard is 

 still to be found near Wellington College. But neither this, nor any 

 of the heath-haunting reptiles are common in the county. There are 

 singularly few lakes or still ponds in Berkshire, and the Thames, rather 

 to its credit, is not a river prolific of frogs, newts, or toads. Snakes are 

 scarce also, especially the viper. 



LACERTILIA 



1. Common Lizard. Lacerta vivipara, Jacq. 



This species is abundant on the Berkshire 

 heaths, and equally rare elsewhere. In all the 

 heather and pine country near Wellington 

 College and Wokingham, and on the heaths 

 and commons near Highclere it is very com- 

 mon. It is also found on Cobham Heath and 

 Ascot Heath, and on some of the large com- 

 mons near the Didcot and Newbury railway. 

 On the downs it is equally scarce. I never 

 saw one in the Vale of White Horse or on the 

 Wantage downs, though a few are found near 

 Frilford and Bessels Leigh, and it is common 

 at Buckland. 



2. Sand Lizard. Lacerta agilis, Linn. 



This beautiful and interesting lizard has 

 been found on the heaths near Wellington 

 College. 



3. Slow-worm. Anguis fragilis, Linn. 



The slow-worm, which is among the favour- 

 ite prey of the smooth snake (coronella), and 

 also of the viper, is very common on all the 

 heaths of Berkshire, and is not unfrequently 

 found on rough parts of the chalk downs, as, 

 for instance, in the juniper plantations and 

 scrub above Moulsford, on the Farnham 

 Downs near Moss Hill plantation, and also 

 towards Lambourn woodlands. I have never 

 seen it in the Vale of White Horse. It is very 

 plentiful near Wellington College. 



OPHIDIA 



4. Common or Ringed Snake. Iropidonotus 



natrix, Linn. 



Occurs over the whole county, and very 

 common in many parts, especially in the 

 Thames valley, in the Vale of White Horse 

 by the old canal, and even on the sides of the 

 downs, where I have frequently seen it found 

 by setters when beating the second growth of 

 sanfoin in September. Numbers live on the 

 banks of the shallow cuttings through which 

 the disused canal passes, by Shrivenham, 

 Uffington, Challow and Wantage, where frogs, 

 the principal food of the snakes, abound. 

 They swim in the canal as deftly as eels. 

 Some have their summer holes in the brick- 

 work of the old swing bridges, and I have often 

 seen them hunting for food, and on several 

 occasions witnessed the capture of a frog. 

 The screams of the frog when caught soon 

 give warning of what is going on, for this 

 sound is heard at no other time. Where these 

 canal snakes hibernate is not known, for there 

 are neither rubbish piles nor manure heaps 

 near. They are also found in old chalk quar- 

 ries, where there are neither frogs nor water. 



5. Common Viper or Adder. Viper a berus, 



Linn. 



Adders are decidedly rare in the county 

 except in the heath districts, where generally 

 a few will be found. Wherever the slow- 

 worm is common, adders occur, the former 



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