'io 
THE NATURALISTS' JOURNAL. 
where there are brushwood and faggots piled in stacks ; it 
also may often be encountered in the vicinity of water. It 
glides along with a very rapid motion, and unless taken by 
surprise will soon make good its escape. The total length 
of this species is about three feet, but large specimens have 
been known sometimes to reach as much as four feet. It is 
very variable in colour. 
The Smooth Snake is a very rare and local species in this 
country. It may be readily distinguished from the Ringed 
Snake by having its scales round, whereas in the more 
common species they are oval with a keel. The Smooth 
Snake seldom exceeds two feet in length. It has been 
captured occasionally in the New Forest and elsewhere in the 
South of England. 
Section II.— Amphibia. 
The members of this class are chiefly distinguished from 
the Reptilia by the fact of their undergoing their metamor¬ 
phoses in water. They form a connecting link between the 
true Reptiles and the Fishes. 
Order Anonva. 
This Order comprises the tailless amphibians, namely, the 
Frogs and the Toads, of which we have four representatives 
in the British Isles. 
The common Frog (Rana temp or aria) is probably sufficiently 
known to everyone not to need notice here. A second species 
called the Edible Frog ( Rana esculent a), is also common in 
certain parts of this country, particularly in the fen district 
of the East of England. It utters a very loud croak, which 
in Cambridgeshire has obtained for it the name of the “ Cam¬ 
bridgeshire Nightingale.” It may be distinguished from the 
common Frog by the absence of the black patch on the side 
of the head near the shoulder, as well as by several other 
points. This creature is well known in connection with cook- 
shops on the Continent. 
In addition to the common Toad {Bufo vulgaris ), which is 
familiar to every reader, we have another species, namely, 
the Natterjack, or Rush Toad ( Bufo calamita) ; this is of a 
light yellowish brown colour, clouded with dull olive, with 
a light line running down the back. It is a very lively 
creature, and runs with the body considerably raised. It is 
\ T ery local, but is usually common wherever it occurs. I 
have seen it in tolerable abundance at Herne Bay, in Kent. 
It principally inhabits dry situations. 
Or dev Urodela. 
This Order includes the tailed Amphibians, known as the 
Tritons and Newts, of which we have four different kind9 
