REPTILES AND BATRACHIANS Reptiles are but poorly represented in Derbyshire, both in species and individuals, and their numbers seem to be steadily decreasing, especi- ally in the vicinity of towns and villages. The common lizard and the blindworm are most abundant in the north of the county ; the lizard being still plentiful on the moors, but it also occurs, although very sparingly, in the southern district. The ringed snake is widely distributed throughout the county, being far from rare even in the south Derbyshire plain, from which the viper is, I believe, entirely absent. The latter however still exists on the northern moors, and is also to be met with on the Leicestershire border. Neither the sand lizard nor the smooth snake occurs in the county, and the European water tortoise, described and figured by Sir Oswald Mosley from a specimen taken on the canal bank near Burton in 1857, was evidently merely a stray specimen which had escaped from captivity. The batrachians of Derbyshire include the common frog, the com- mon toad, the great crested newt and the smooth newt. The active natterjack toad, although found in both Cheshire and Lancashire, does not occur in Derbyshire ; whilst the palmated newt also has not been recorded for the county. REPTILES LACERTILIA plentiful amongst the rough rocks of Charn- I. Common, Scaly or Viviparous Lizard. wood Forest in that county. Lacerta vivipara, Jacquin. 2 Blind-worm or Slow-worm. Anguh This species occurs most abundantly in the fragilis Linn. north of Derbyshire but is rare or altogether More restricted in '; ts than the com . absent from many districts in the centre and mon , izard and ig chjefl found jn the hm south of the county The Rev. Francis C. R. districts-Miller's Dale, Dove Dale, Thorpe Jourdam kindly informs me that in 1876 he cloud {Rey j Q Stephens) Belper . Mr . 'found this species very abundant on the Hutchinson obligingly writes to inform me moors wh.ch reach from Ashopton to Shef- that he receivec f on Y a few years ago from field, especiaUy near Moscar. Litt , e about IQ inches f n j f h> In south Derbyshire it occurred three or four years ago on some rough furze-covered OPHIDIA land near Drakelow, but has entirely disap- peared since this was drained and put under 3- Common or Ringed Snake. Tropidonotus cultivation. About six years ago it was to natrix. Linn, be found near Burton, but is not now to be Natrix torquata, Ray. met with. On the Leicestershire border the Although nowhere numerically very abun- scaly lizard is more abundant, and is still dant, the common snake is widely distributed 117
