SEEPENTS. 63 



Turtle. 



The subjoined notes relate to Turtles, the species of which were not 

 accurately determined : 



For some months previous to December, 1836, my relative Richard 

 Langtry, Esq., kept one of these animals, — supposed to be the " Snap- 

 ping Turtle," — living m a pond at Fortwilliam, near Belfast. It died on 

 the oth of that month, and on its being lifted out of the water I observed 

 several specimens oi Limneus pereger stationary upon it. — I examined the 

 eggs taken from this turtle, and found about 70, measuring from one-third 

 of an inch to one inch and a quarter in diameter, — many of them of this 

 latter size. Besides these there were numbers — upwards I should think 

 of 200 — smaller, down to the size of pin-heads. 



In the Northern Whig of 12th July, 1849, the following notice appears : 



" A fine young turtle was caught in the Channel, on Friday, contiguous to 

 the city. Cork Constitution." 



Order Ophidia (Serpents). 



Ireland has ever been free from the presence of Ophidian reptiles. As 

 there is no physical obstacle to their being indigenous to the island, it 

 can only be said, that as all animals have geographical limits assigned to 

 them, so these have Great Britain as their western boundary, within her 

 parallel of latitude. Mr. Bell, when about to publish his History of 

 British Reptiles, having applied to me for information respecting the 

 several species inhabiting Ireland, I supplied him with the following note, 

 which he has given in the work just mentioned (p. 54). 



" In this order {Ophidia) there is not now, nor I believe ever was there, any 

 species indigenous to Ireland. — In the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal for 

 April, 1835 (vol. xviii. p. 373), it is remarked, ' We have learned from good au- 

 thority that a recent importation of snakes has been made into Ireland, and that 

 at present they are multiplying rapidly within a few miles of the tomb of St. 

 Patrick.' I never heard of this circumstance until it was published, and sub- 

 sequently endeavoured to ascertain its truth by inquiring of the persons about 

 Downpatrick (where the tomb of St. Patrick is) who are best acquainted with 

 these subjects, not one of whom had ever heard of snakes being in the neigh- 

 bourhood. — Recollecting that about the year 1831 a snake (Natrix torquata) 

 immediately after being killed at Milecross was brought by some country-people 

 in great consternation to my friend Dr. I. L. Drummond, I thought this might 

 be one of those alluded to, and recently made inquiry of James Cleland, Esq., of 

 Rathgael House, Co. Do^^^l, twenty-five miles distant in a direct line from 

 DoMTipatrick, respecting snakes said to have been turned out by him. I was 

 favoured by that gentleman with the following satisfactory reply : — ' The report 

 of my having introduced snakes into this coimtry is correct. 13eing curious to 

 ascertain whether the climate of Ireland was destructive to that class of reptiles, 

 about six years ago I purchased half a dozen of them in Covcnt (harden market 

 in London. They had been taken some time and were quite tame and familiar. 

 I turned them out in my garden; they immediately rambled away; one of 

 them was killed at Milecross, three miles distant, in about a week after its liber- 

 ation, and three others were shortly afterwards killed within that distance of the 

 place where they were turned out ; and it is highly probable that the remaining two 

 met with a similar fate, falling victims to a reward whiclx it appears was oti'tTed 

 for their destruction.' " 



In reference to the above communication Mr. Bell remarks : — 



