213 



the body is brownish, with steel-blue reflec- 

 tion*. 



The Snake* are represented in Britain by 1 

 two species. The Common or Ringed Snake • 

 ITropidonotus natrix) lias been already spoken ! 

 of at some length (Y. N., Vol. r, p. 203). It 

 may be at once distinguished from the viper J 

 bv the absence of the dark dorsal line, and 

 by its having two pale yellow marks behind 

 the head, forming a sort of ring. The general 

 tint is a kind of olive-brown, with a series of 

 dark spots along each side of the back. It 

 varies from two to three feet in length, but 

 specimens have been obtained even longer 

 than that. I have found this species at 

 Askern, in Yorkshire, gliding along the edges 

 of the quiet streams. 



The Adder, ok Viper (Pelias Bents) is 

 generally yellower than the Common Snake : 

 the ring behind the head is wanting, and 

 there is a dark irregular stripe along the 

 back. At Sherwood Forest this reptile is 

 very common, but all you see of it is now and 

 then the tail just retreating into the grass, or 

 a slough or cast-off skin among the grass or 

 heather. This is the only venomous kind we 

 have in England; all the others— -both 

 Snakes and Lizards— are quite harmless. 



We now come to the Newts, of which we 

 have three or four species. The Cheat Watkr 

 Newt {Triton cristatus) is the largest, 

 measuring five or six inches when full-grown. 

 During the breeding season the male has a 

 crest, which runs along the back and tail ; 

 the upper parts are dark olive-brown, and 

 the belly golden. At this season he is really 

 a beautiful animal, and well worthy a place 

 in any aquarium It is not rare, and if it 

 cannot be caught it may be obtained from 

 most dealers in aquaria. 



The Smooth Newt (Lophinus punctatus) 

 seems to be more terrestrial in its habits than 

 the last. It is the common "ask" of country- 

 people, seldom exceeding three and a half 

 inches in length. The female is of a dirty 

 yellow, sometimes spotted with darker 

 colour, the male often very much so. The 



belly of the male during the breeding season 

 attains a golden colour, at which time it may- 

 be found in ponds and stagnant pools, and 

 at other times in hedge bottoms, and 

 occasionally one will find its way into a 

 cellar, much to the horror of the owners, who 

 generally use a pair of tongs for the poor 

 animals removal, and, sometimes even cruelly 

 consign it to the fire. 



The Palmate Newt {L. palmatus) is, per- 

 haps, only a variety of the last ; it differs in 

 having the hind feet webbed in the male : it 

 is smaller and darker in colour, and the belly 

 is said to be paler than the common species. 



Grey's Banded Newt [Onimatotriton 

 v it tat us) is the only one other species which 

 has been met with in Britain, and that only 

 once near London. The specimens are in 

 the British Museum, and are described as 

 being pale grey, closely black-spotted ; tail 

 nearly black ; sides of abdomen and middle 

 of tail with a broad wide (white ?) streak, 

 white beneath. — Grey. 



Of course every one is so well acquainted 

 with the Common Frog (Rami tempovaria) that 

 no description need be given. 



The Edible Frog (A', esculeitfa) has been 

 found in Norfolk, but probably from imported 

 specimens. The Edible Frog is said to be 

 without the dark stripe which in the common 

 species extends from the eye to the shoulder. 

 The male has also a sac on each side of the 

 mouth, which are extended while croaking, 

 I and a light line along the back. 



The Common Toad fBufu vulgaris) is well- 

 known. It is a most useful animal, though 

 generally despised. Its only means of de- 

 1 fence seems to he in a milky secretion, which 

 I issues from the warts on its back, and 

 j which renders it disagreeable to other 

 1 animals. This secretion is of a poisonous 

 nature, proving fatal if injected into the 

 I veins of other animals. 



The Natterjack (B. calamitq ) is less com- 

 ) mon, it is a more beautiful and more lively 

 J creature, walking or even running with ap- 

 j parently with much greater ease. It is com- 



