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REPTILES AND BATRACHIANS The county is not among the districts most favoured by Reptiles or Batrachians. It was ascertained by Captain Stanley Flower, now head of the Zoological Gardens at Cairo, that the scarce sand lizard is still to be found near Wellington College. But neither this, nor any of the heath-haunting reptiles are common in the county. There are singularly few lakes or still ponds in Berkshire, and the Thames, rather to its credit, is not a river prolific of frogs, newts, or toads. Snakes are scarce also, especially the viper. LACERTILIA 1. Common Lizard. Lacerta vivipara, Jacq. This species is abundant on the Berkshire heaths, and equally rare elsewhere. In all the heather and pine country near Wellington College and Wokingham, and on the heaths and commons near Highclere it is very com- mon. It is also found on Cobham Heath and Ascot Heath, and on some of the large com- mons near the Didcot and Newbury railway. On the downs it is equally scarce. I never saw one in the Vale of White Horse or on the Wantage downs, though a few are found near Frilford and Bessels Leigh, and it is common at Buckland. 2. Sand Lizard. Lacerta agilis, Linn. This beautiful and interesting lizard has been found on the heaths near Wellington College. 3. Slow-worm. Anguis fragilis, Linn. The slow-worm, which is among the favour- ite prey of the smooth snake (coronella), and also of the viper, is very common on all the heaths of Berkshire, and is not unfrequently found on rough parts of the chalk downs, as, for instance, in the juniper plantations and scrub above Moulsford, on the Farnham Downs near Moss Hill plantation, and also towards Lambourn woodlands. I have never seen it in the Vale of White Horse. It is very plentiful near Wellington College. OPHIDIA 4. Common or Ringed Snake. Iropidonotus natrix, Linn. Occurs over the whole county, and very common in many parts, especially in the Thames valley, in the Vale of White Horse by the old canal, and even on the sides of the downs, where I have frequently seen it found by setters when beating the second growth of sanfoin in September. Numbers live on the banks of the shallow cuttings through which the disused canal passes, by Shrivenham, Uffington, Challow and Wantage, where frogs, the principal food of the snakes, abound. They swim in the canal as deftly as eels. Some have their summer holes in the brick- work of the old swing bridges, and I have often seen them hunting for food, and on several occasions witnessed the capture of a frog. The screams of the frog when caught soon give warning of what is going on, for this sound is heard at no other time. Where these canal snakes hibernate is not known, for there are neither rubbish piles nor manure heaps near. They are also found in old chalk quar- ries, where there are neither frogs nor water. 5. Common Viper or Adder. Viper a berus, Linn. Adders are decidedly rare in the county except in the heath districts, where generally a few will be found. Wherever the slow- worm is common, adders occur, the former 138