356 



REPTILES. 



though also found on quite the opposite exposures. Perhaps most 

 abundant over the north-east districts and amongst the foot-hills of 

 Forfarshire and Kincardineshire, but also occurs in the moister 

 parts of the north-west and west, as, for instance, on the Moor of 

 Eannoch ; and, as I am informed by Mr. Godfrey, upon the heathery 

 island of Loch Luydon. Their inhabiting islands upon other fresh- 

 water lochs of Scotland is known to naturalists, as it is well assured 

 they do so ; and they have been seen swimming and voluntarily 

 taking to water. 



Adders occur, as said, all over the area in greater or less numbers, 

 according to suitability of the conditions, which latter may primarily 

 be held as dependent on the nature of the geology and soil ; as no 

 doubt also are the several variations in colour, which may well be also 

 quite dependent on climatic conditions, rainfall, sunshine, dryness, or 

 dampness, even in very local dispersal in the British Isles. 



Order LACERTILIA. 

 Family LACERTIDiE. 



Lacerta vivipara, Jacq. Common Lizard. 



Generally distributed, favouring the drier portions. Varying in 

 numbers, however, according to the adaptability of its surroundings. 

 Common among the gravelly hills and mounds on the Moor of 

 Kannoch — as, for instance, round Loch Eigheach, Lochan Dubhach, 

 Dunan; and in birch woods along the sides of Loch Rannoch — 

 scarcer in the pine woods. Plentiful in the heather, on the drier 

 knolls along Loch Tay side (Dewar). At Glenogle in the south-west, 

 amongst bog-myrtle or " sweet gale " (1903-4, Godfrey), and generally 

 distributed on suitable grounds down to the sand-dunes and debris 

 slopes along the cliff-bases of the east coast, and the confines of Tay 

 and FoRTH.i 



1 I take the opportunity here of correcting an error in Dr. Leighton's volume 

 on The Life-History of British Lizards (Edinburgh, 1903), p. 188, which, it would 

 appear from the text, is attributable to me, in notes I sent him for his work, at his 

 request. On looking up my notes, I think it will be found that I was referring 

 simply to the occurrence upon Ailsa Craig of the Slow Worm onl}-, and not to that of 

 the Common Lizard, which, certainly, I never found upon that island ; nor was I aware 

 that it occurred there at all. There is a gap in the context between the first sentence 

 of that paragraph (in which I did refer to both species) and the remaining sentences, to 

 which my name is appended, in which — I thijik in a separate letter or communication 



