1034 Reptiles. 



very probable that they might be but unwholesome food, and even that a person from 

 some peculiarity of constitution might receive injury from touching one with his hand. 

 But who either eats them, or anoints his eyes with their secretions ? And of their own 

 accord they will assuredly never interfere with man. Their time of appearance is from 

 about 10, A.M. till noon, in the months of May, June and July. Oken accuses them 

 of cannibalism, especially in confinement. My specimens never made the least at- 

 tempt upon each other, even when they were purposely allowed to fast, nor should I 

 think them capable of managing any larger prey than insects. As winter approached, 

 they showed signs of approaching torpidity, and were therefore set aside till spring. 

 Unfortunately, the box was placed in too warm a situation, so that their sleep was im- 

 perfect, and as they were, of course, not supplied with food, I found them all perished 

 on taking down the box in spring. Had they been left in the den with the other rep- 

 tiles, they would doubtless have taken no injury. This put an end to my observations 

 on the salamander, as I had no opportunity of revisiting their locality. In the sum- 

 mer of 1840, I had hopes of finding it, along with the black species, Sal. atra, on the 

 lower slopes of the Lissa Hora, in Moravia ; but as the day when I ascended that 

 mountain was remarkably hot and dry, I did not meet with a single specimen. It 

 would certainly be interesting to seek the origin of the innumerable fables concerning 

 this animal, which flourish in the mouths of the ignorant now, as well as formerly in 

 the works of the learned. Reptiles have been, indeed, altogether unfortunate in this 

 respect ; they are viewed by the majority of mankind with hatred and fear, and their 

 true habits and nature thus obscured. Not only are the hurtful species represented as 

 dragons, but the most innocent kinds are proscribed. Not content with investing 

 every serpent with venomous properties, popular opinion confers a like honour upon 

 the lizards and many batrachians. Thus, a few years ago I was told that a kind of 

 newt, armed with a true sting at the end of the tail, was not uncommon in Yorkshire. 

 My informant was convinced it was a sting, from having seen the animals strike their 

 tails against a stick, so as to leave an impression, with the sting-point. Not being ac- 

 quainted with any vertebrate animal thus armed, I offered a reward for a living speci- 

 men of the kind described, but none has appeared. One of the qualities commonly 

 attributed to reptiles is that of being nocturnal ; now, as keeping bad hours always 

 tells against either man or beast, I must try to defend them from such a charge. The 

 European serpents, as far as I am aware, so far from being nocturnal, are the most 

 eminently diurnal animals known. I have never taken a viper before 9 in the morn- 

 ing nor after 4 in the evening, from 10 to 12 being their favourite time. On one oc- 

 casion I caught a common adder as late as 8, P.M., but it had probably been disturb- 

 ed after its usual time of retiring to rest. The Austrian adder and the lizards (Lacerta 

 agilis and crocea) show also a decided partiality for the most bright and sunny hours of 

 the day. These then are the " nightly serpents " whose hisses " resound through the 

 forests." Well might they hiss, if they could but know and understand half the non- 

 sense said about them. In no point is our ignorance of the real economy of these ani- 

 mals more obvious, than as regards the circumstances which regulate their appearance. 

 One day you may observe them in abundance, the next, although there be no percep- 

 tible difference in temperature &c, not a single specimen is to be seen. Now reptiles 

 certainly do, upon the whole, prefer hot, still weather, yet I have taken them also in 

 very cold, stormy days. Thus, I found a viper on March 8, 1838, which was exceed- 

 ingly brisk and vicious, although the day was chill and gloomy, with a strong north- 

 east breeze, and occasional showers of sleet. At other times I have ranged for days 



