A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK These latter appeared regularly near the same spot for several summers in succession, but have now ceased to do so. In all cases the tortoises remained in a healthy and thriving condition, but no young ones have been seen. REPTILES LACERTILIA 1. Common or Viviparous Lizard. Lactrta vivipara (Jacq.) Fairly common in some parts of the county on dry banks facing south or south-east. About the heaths of east Suffolk it used to be most abundant ; but in those parts best known to the writer, where pheasants now abound, lizards have become very scarce. Over a large extent of heath land in the parishes of Blaxhall and Tunstall, much of it common ground, these little creatures were within the recollection of the writer extremely abundant, notwithstanding that kestrels were at that time much more numerous than at present, and harriers not uncommon. Since however the preservation of game has been extended to this tract of ground, and pheasants have greatly increased in number, the lizards have almost if not entirely disappeared. As regards the western part of the county. Professor A. Newton writes, ' According to my experience the viviparous lizard was very scarce and extremely local in west Suffolk. At Elveden I knew of only one place where it was ever to be seen, and even there one could not be sure of always meeting with it.' 2. Slow-worm. Anguh fragilis, Linn. This harmless and interesting little reptile is pretty generally distributed, but reports from various districts show it to be less com- mon than it used to be. It is unfortunately looked upon by many people as a noxious and dangerous creature, and is therefore destroyed by them if possible whenever met with. In many parts of east Suffolk it is now but sel- dom seen. About Thetford also it is con- sidered by Mr. W. G. Clarke to be ' rather rare.' The increased attention paid to roads and roadside banks and hedges may perhaps partly account for the disappearance of this animal from some of its former haunts, the surface of the banks being seldom allowed to remain long undisturbed, and the hedges kept so low and narrow as to afford little or no shelter or concealment. In Earl Soham churchyard slow-worms have been noticed by the Rev. R. Abbay to be abundant ; and communications received from other parts of the county seem to de- note a particular partiality or these little reptiles for churchyards in general. In such situations they would probably have a better chance of remaining undisturbed than else- where, and be less exposed to persecution from men and boys. OPHIDIA 3. Common or Ringed Snake. 1 ropidonotus natrix, Linn. Throughout the whole county this species is much less numerous than it was thirty or forty years ago, and from many districts where it was formerly not uncommon it has now totally disappeared. It is doubtful indeed if it can anywhere be called plentiful at the present time. The much 'cleaner' system of farming now adopted, involving the abolition of the old rough banks and wide straggling hedges of former times, the drainage of swamps and enclosure and cultivation of waste cor- ners, have long been encroaching upon and gradually restricting the former haunts of the ringed snake. In those woods and waste grounds where it still maintains a struggle for existence every man's hand is against it ; the gamekeepers destroy it as ' vermin,' and the country people generally, believing this harmless animal to be a venomous creature dangerous to mankind, consider it a meritorious action to kill every one they meet with. In the neighbourhood of Ipswich there are woods and heaths where the common snake is still occasionally seen. Mr. H. Miller of Ipswich and other observers have met with examples at Bentley, Foxhall, Raydon and Brantham. About Needham Market specimens have fre- quently been observed by Mr. H. Lingwood. In the Beccles district Mr. W. M. Crowfoot reports it to be still not uncommon, while about Herringfleet, a few miles further north, it appears to have become rare. Reports from the neighbourhood of Bury St. Edmunds and west Suffolk generally, mostly agree as to the increasing scarcity of snakes, though these reptiles still exist in some places. The Rev. J. G. Tuck, writing from Tostock near Bury, refers to the ringed snake as getting rare in that part of the county. About ten years ago he used to come across specimens often enough. In a later communication to the writer he mentions two snakes having been. 174
