﻿196 
  

  

  THE 
  VE 
  ETE 
  BR 
  ATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  "DEE." 
  

  

  tion, 
  I 
  got 
  a 
  sight 
  of 
  the 
  skin, 
  but 
  found 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  

   common 
  Adder, 
  though 
  a 
  rather 
  strangely-marked 
  one. 
  But 
  

   it 
  does 
  not 
  follow 
  from 
  this 
  that 
  the 
  Smooth 
  Viper 
  is 
  not 
  an 
  

   inhabitant 
  of 
  the 
  county. 
  I 
  am 
  sore 
  mistaken 
  if 
  it 
  has 
  not 
  

   been 
  got 
  in 
  Aberdeenshire, 
  and 
  why 
  not 
  in 
  Banffshire 
  ? 
  " 
  This 
  

   is 
  a 
  loose 
  haphazard 
  statement 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Edward 
  on 
  which 
  no 
  

   reliance 
  can 
  be 
  placed.] 
  

  

  Genus 
  TROPIDONOTUS. 
  

  

  [Tropidonotus 
  natrix, 
  Dum. 
  and 
  Bibr. 
  "Common 
  Snake." 
  

   "Ringed 
  Snake." 
  

  

  Several 
  specimens 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  have 
  been 
  killed 
  in 
  and 
  

   around 
  Aberdeen, 
  but 
  in 
  most 
  cases 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  proved 
  to 
  

   be 
  individuals 
  that 
  have 
  escaped 
  from 
  confinement 
  and 
  which 
  

   had 
  originally 
  been 
  brought 
  from 
  England. 
  

  

  Although 
  we 
  have 
  not 
  the 
  "temerity 
  to 
  deny 
  its 
  occurrence 
  

   in 
  Scotland," 
  it 
  may 
  with 
  safety 
  be 
  said 
  that 
  a 
  properly 
  

   authenticated 
  instance 
  of 
  the 
  occurrence 
  of 
  the 
  Ringed 
  Snake 
  

   in 
  a 
  truly 
  wild 
  state 
  within 
  " 
  Dee 
  " 
  has 
  yet 
  to 
  be 
  found.] 
  

  

  Order 
  LACERTILIA. 
  

  

  Family 
  LACERTIDiE. 
  

  

  Genus 
  LACERTA. 
  

  

  Lacerta 
  vivipara, 
  Dum. 
  and 
  Bibr. 
  Common 
  Lizard. 
  

   "Heather 
  Ask." 
  

  

  Common 
  everywhere, 
  from 
  the 
  sea 
  coast 
  to 
  the 
  interior 
  of 
  

   the 
  country. 
  This 
  inoffensive 
  creature 
  is 
  held 
  in 
  great 
  dread 
  

   by 
  the 
  rural 
  population, 
  and 
  at 
  one 
  time, 
  not 
  long 
  gone 
  by, 
  

   was 
  credited 
  with 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  being 
  able 
  to 
  cause 
  the 
  

   death 
  of 
  their 
  cattle. 
  This 
  it 
  was 
  believed 
  to 
  do 
  by 
  entering 
  

   their 
  mouth 
  while 
  the 
  cattle 
  were 
  feeding, 
  and 
  afterwards 
  

   causing 
  great 
  pain 
  in 
  the 
  stomach, 
  resulting 
  in 
  death, 
  if 
  

   incantations 
  of 
  some 
  "canny" 
  man 
  or 
  woman 
  were 
  not 
  

   successful 
  in 
  inducing 
  the 
  "Ask" 
  to 
  take 
  its 
  departure. 
  

  

  [Lacerta 
  viridis, 
  Linn. 
  Green 
  Lizard. 
  

  

  The 
  statement 
  that 
  the 
  Green 
  Lizard 
  is 
  a 
  native 
  of 
  

   Scotland 
  is 
  one 
  still 
  requiring 
  confirmation. 
  Although 
  it 
  is 
  

  

  