262 STUDIES IN INSECT LIFE, ETC. 



stung, but York (3 " Henry VI.," I. iv. 112) more 

 correctly refers to the adder's tooth. Lear also 

 (I. iv. 311) appreciates the " serpent's tooth/' 

 The blind-worm, one of the few lizards mentioned, 

 is obviously classed by Shakespeare with the 

 Ophidia, but he shows on the other hand some 

 acquaintance with the habits of the chameleon. 

 The tortoise, the alligator, and " the mournful 

 crocodile/' whose traditional hypocrisy is referred 

 to by the queen in 2 " Hen. VI.," III. i. 226, 

 complete the list of reptiles. Turtle in all places 

 means the turtle-dove, not the chelonian. 



Shakespeare also shows much knowledge of our 

 sparse mammalian f^una ; the weasel, the ferret, 

 the hedgehog, the rabbit or coney, the otter, 

 the polecat or fitchew which was thought to be 

 very amorous, the deer then as now confined in 

 parks or forests, cattle and other farmyard and 

 domesticated animals were all within his ken. 

 A curious allusion of Gonzalo's ("Tempest," III. 

 iii. 45) to 



" mountaineers, 



Dewlapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging at 'em 

 Wallets of ' flesh/ " 



obviously refers to the goitre which was till 

 recently common in the Peak district. 



