﻿230 
  

  

  REPTILES. 
  

  

  observes, 
  * 
  are 
  lighter 
  in 
  colour 
  than 
  those 
  from 
  Strathspey 
  and 
  the 
  

   higher 
  hills, 
  adapting 
  no 
  doubt 
  their 
  colour 
  to 
  their 
  surroundings. 
  

   ' 
  We 
  had,' 
  he 
  continues, 
  ' 
  an 
  Adder 
  in 
  our 
  possession 
  from 
  Strath- 
  

   peffer 
  for 
  a 
  good 
  many 
  months, 
  and 
  its 
  colour 
  was 
  nearly 
  green, 
  

   and 
  although 
  having 
  the 
  characteristic 
  markings, 
  the 
  tint 
  was 
  

   not 
  so 
  deep.' 
  

  

  The 
  Viper 
  is 
  found 
  generally 
  on 
  moors 
  and 
  less-frequented 
  

   parts 
  of 
  the 
  hills 
  {Fauna 
  of 
  Moray). 
  * 
  Serpents 
  ' 
  (sic) 
  are 
  found, 
  but 
  

   not 
  abundantly, 
  in 
  the 
  parish 
  of 
  Kilearnan 
  (New 
  Statistical 
  Account, 
  

   xiv. 
  p. 
  65), 
  Eoss 
  and 
  Cromarty.' 
  In 
  1892 
  we 
  heard 
  of 
  them 
  occur- 
  

   ring 
  in 
  1 
  bunches 
  ' 
  in 
  old 
  peat-stacks 
  at 
  Sluie 
  1 
  in 
  Upper 
  Glenlivet, 
  

   and 
  it 
  is 
  at 
  present 
  not 
  uncommon 
  in 
  Glen 
  Fiddich 
  deer-forest, 
  but, 
  

   as 
  usually 
  is 
  the 
  case, 
  less 
  abundant 
  on 
  sheep-ground. 
  Dr. 
  Gordon 
  

   informed 
  us 
  that 
  Darnaway 
  and 
  the 
  oak-woods 
  had 
  long 
  been 
  

   reputed 
  habitats 
  of 
  the 
  Viper, 
  and 
  he 
  had 
  seen 
  specimens 
  killed 
  in 
  

   a 
  corn-field 
  near 
  the 
  village 
  of 
  Urquhart, 
  and 
  from 
  Mayen 
  near 
  

   Elgin. 
  

  

  Adders 
  sometimes 
  appear 
  very 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  season. 
  We 
  re- 
  

   member 
  finding 
  two 
  lying 
  amongst 
  some 
  brackens 
  in 
  February 
  

   when 
  the 
  ground 
  was 
  covered 
  with 
  snow. 
  

  

  Order 
  LACERTILIA. 
  

   Family 
  LAOERTID-ffi. 
  

   Lacerta 
  vivipara, 
  Jacq. 
  Common 
  Lizard. 
  

  

  Local 
  Name. 
  — 
  Heather 
  Ask. 
  

  

  Common 
  everywhere 
  throughout 
  our 
  area, 
  especially 
  in 
  dry 
  heathery 
  

   ground. 
  A 
  freshly 
  killed 
  female 
  picked 
  up 
  by 
  a 
  correspondent 
  

   at 
  Invergarry 
  had 
  three 
  living 
  young 
  ones 
  inside 
  her, 
  with 
  1 
  well- 
  

   developed 
  heads, 
  legs, 
  and 
  tails, 
  but 
  no 
  eyes.' 
  They 
  sometimes 
  

   produce 
  four 
  young. 
  

  

  [Obs. 
  — 
  A 
  specimen 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  was 
  taken 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Innes 
  on 
  

   the 
  Culbin 
  Sands 
  in 
  1843, 
  and 
  is 
  now 
  in 
  the 
  Elgin 
  Museum, 
  and 
  

   further 
  distribution 
  is 
  quoted 
  in 
  the 
  Fauna 
  of 
  Moray 
  under 
  the 
  old 
  

   name 
  of 
  Lacerta 
  agilis, 
  which 
  now 
  properly 
  belongs 
  to 
  the 
  Sand 
  

   Lizard. 
  The 
  identity 
  of 
  this 
  specimen 
  has 
  been 
  rendered 
  certain 
  by 
  

   an 
  examination 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Eagle-Clarke 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  recorded 
  specimen. 
  

   1 
  Not 
  to 
  be 
  confounded 
  with 
  a 
  place 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  name 
  on 
  the 
  river 
  Findhorn. 
  

  

  