28 NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF DUBLIN. 



attributed, not to climate or local circumstances, but to the prejudices of 

 the inhabitants — a conclusion which the case I have to bring forward 

 proves to be very true. It is strange, that while our commonest Reptile, 

 the Frog, is generally believed to have been introduced so late as 1699 

 by a Fellow of Trinity College, Dr. Gruithers, and the Natterjack by a 

 vessel putting into Dingle Bay, we find no evidence or tradition of the 

 introduction of either the Newt or Lizard, both of which are common in 

 some parts of Ireland. The Newt, like the Natterjack, seems to have a 

 very limited distribution in Ireland — not, so far as I know, occurring in 

 the southern counties, although it would seem most easy for it to spread 

 in a country so well watered as ours unfortunately is. The consideration 

 of these facts as to Reptiles and Batrachians shows that, however effectual 

 the prayers of St. Patrick may have been believed to be for other pur- 

 poses, they do not seem to have been completely effectual in expelling the 

 Reptilia from Ireland. They would almost make us doubt that the state- 

 ment of the introduction of the Frog, our commonest reptile, is correct. 

 The Newt and Lizard are unaccounted for by tradition or history. It 

 would seem more probable that the geographical distribution of these is 

 governed by a higher cause — namely, the geological history of Ireland, 

 than by either the prayers of St. Patrick or the accidental introduction 

 of them by naturalists. 



Having taken up so much of the time of the Society in discussing 

 Reptiles in general on rather uncertain data, I must state the case which 

 I have undertaken to prove — namely, that the Ringed Snake of England 

 may be naturalized in Ireland. 



In the summer of 1862 I did what Thompson states Mr. Cleland, of 

 the county of Down, did in 1831 — that is, I bought some Snakes in Co- 

 vent- Garden Market, in London — not, indeed, with his object, that of 

 attempting to introduce them permanently into Ireland, but in order 

 that I might watch their habits for a time, and finally dissect them 

 whenever they should fall a victim to the prayers of St. Patrick. I 

 purchased three, and brought them over to Dublin ; and, as I was going for 

 some time to the county of Cork, took them with me there. I found one 

 of the three dead on opening the box on arriving at my destination. The 

 death of this one was perhaps caused by the fact that she was full of 

 ova ready to be laid, and was not in a condition to travel so far and so 

 roughly as she had done. The remaining two were quite lively, and I put 

 them into a fern- case in a greenhouse where I was staying, near Midle- 

 ton, in the county Cork. They were a source of much attraction to the 

 people about, as most of the inhabitants had never seen a Snake before ; 

 and, as the result of this curiosity, I was much afraid that they would 

 get away some day beyond the reach of dissection. I watched their 

 habits and mode of feeding, &c, for some time ; but, as I feared, 

 one morning I found, on visiting the case, that some one had let them 

 out. 



I heard nothing more of them at the time; but the following 

 summer, on going to the country again, I inquired about them, and 

 was told that a woman, when hanging clothes to dry on a hedge in the 



