ST. ALBANS AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. 239 
and their oecological relations still await investigation. The 
calcareous nature of the soil involves a scarcity of ponds and 
marshes, but the Lea skirts the northern boundary near 
Wheathampstead, and the confluent Yer and Colne traverse the 
whole district. The Lea is one of the few British rivers in 
which the barbel is taken, but there is no evidence to show 
whether it occurs in the short stretch of the stream that comes 
within our purview, and the same must be admitted of some of 
the other fishes that have been recorded for the Lea. The 
salmon is referred to by Izaak Walton as a Lea fish, and no 
doubt in his day it regularly passed through Wheathampstead 
on its way to the redds in the upper reaches of the stream, but 
it has long been extinct. The brook trout, provided it has some 
measure of protection from the voracious and abundant pike, 
does well in the Hertfordshire streams, and the Colne at Munden 
has furnished some good fish. In 1896 one was taken which 
scaled 6 lb. 6 oz., and between two and three hundred fish 
averaging more than 1 lb. in weight is the yearly catch in the 
Munden waters. 
Of coarse fish the rivers yield perch, ruffe, gudgeon, chub, 
rudd, roach, bleak, dace, bream, and eel in greater or less 
abundance. The carp is found at London Colney and elsewhere, 
but this species and the tench should be sought in still waters 
rather than in the streams. Among the smaller species, which 
the angler disdains, the miller’s thumb is not uncommon in 
small gravelly streams, the loach has been taken in the Yer, 
and the minnow is plentiful. The three-spined stickleback is 
abundant, and the ten-spined stickleback is found in the Lea 
and in the Yer at St. Albans. The lampern has been taken in 
the Lea, and no doubt occurs in many of the smaller streams. 
Batrachia.— Britain, by reason of its insular position, is poor 
in amphibians when compared with the neighbouring countries 
of the European continent, and of the meagre total only such 
species as are generally distributed have been observed in the 
St. Albans district. It may be remarked, however, that the 
natterjack toad and palmated newt are recorded from Hertford¬ 
shire localities not far from the confines of the district, and 
further search may show that they occur within a radius of five 
miles from the centre of the city. 
The four common batrachians—the great crested newt, the 
common newt, the common frog, and the common toad—are so 
abundant and generally distributed as to warrant only passing 
comment. 
Reptilia.— The remarks as to the scarcity of amphibians in 
Britain apply equally to reptiles. The viper is now rare in 
England, and the only record of its occurrence in Hertfordshire 
is of one found in the parish of Kensworth and now in the 
possession of Mr. James Saunders. Although probably extinct 
in our district, it was no doubt at one time to be found on the 
heaths and commons. The grass or ringed snake is rare. 
vol. xiv .—part m. 
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