354 



THri ZOOLOGIST. 



line running from the gape. Contrary to its general habit, this speci- 

 men appeared to be very lethargic, but undoubtedly it was near 

 changing its skin, as the " scales" had already grown over its eyes — 

 (one person who saw it suggested blindness) — but when placed in a 

 box with the other two it fought and bit furiously at the smaller one, 

 which was, I suppose, of the same sex. These two, sixteen and 

 eighteen inches in length respectively, were very prettily marked, and 

 appeared iridescent, especially about the head, when the sun shone 

 upon them. After retaining them two or three days the person for 

 whom they were secured declined to have them, because of the diffi- 

 culty of keeping and providing food, so they were taken back to their 

 native heath and there liberated. My limited experience points to 

 the fact that the species in question prefers dry and sunny situations, 

 and is seldom found in damp places such as the common natrix 

 delights to inhabit ; this latter I have often seen in the water, but 

 Icevis never, and I think it is often supposed to be an Adder, and is 

 killed in consequence. — G. B. Corbin (Eingwood, Hants). 



AMPHIBIA. 



Palmated Newt (Molge palmata) in Hertfordshire. — On June 27th 

 I took several examples of this Newt from a pond in Ashridge Park. 

 The species does not seem to have been recorded hitherto for Hertford- 

 shire. — Charles Oldham (Watford). 



OBITUARY. 



Thomas Southwell. 



By the death of Mr. Southwell ' The Zoologist ' has lost one of its 

 oldest contributors and Norfolk one of its best naturalists. He passed 

 away on Sunday, Sept. 5th, at his residence, 10, The Crescent, Norwich, 

 in his seventy-ninth year, having rallied from an alarming breakdown 

 in January of last year, about which time he wrote to us saying his 

 work was done, a statement we rightly refused to accept, and he 

 subsequently acquired a considerable amount of bodily and mental 

 vigour. 



According to the 'Eastern Daily Press,' in a notice evidently 

 written by a competent authority, " Mr. Southwell was a native of 

 King's Lynn, and the greater part of his days he had spent as a 



