REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS IN EPPING FOREST 185
this species, but its size alone makes it very likely that it was. The
crater was netted very carefully on other occasions, always without
result. These sparse records for this species would seem to indicate
that it is very scarce in the area.
Frog (Rana temporaria L.). Laver (1898) writing of this amphibian
in Essex in general, regarded it as "extremely common and generally
distributed", and Stubbs (1920) evidently found it very common in the
pond at Birch Hall, Theydon Bois. In addition Fitter (1949) writing
of the London area recorded it as "common and widely distributed even
in the suburbs". Despite this testimony that the Frog is common, we must
report that during the year we actually saw only one Frog in the
Forest, and that outside our area, in a hollow near the Napier Arms
(G.M.). However, we have evidence that Frogs spawned in Strawberry
Hill Pond (26 and 27 March); Baldwins Hill Pond (23 March, 6 April):
and Blackweir Pond (27 March, 6 April), when fresh spawn was found
on each date. In each case the quantity found was small, probably the
product of only two or three females. A report was also received of
Frogs spawning in Knighton Pond and in a pond at Lords Bushes (D.S.).
Toad (Bufo bufo L.). In contrast with the Frog we found the Toad
abundant in the Forest ponds at spawning time. On one occasion (30
March) forty-five were counted in the water on the eastern edge of
Goldings Hill Pond, and during the morning many hundreds were seen
in other ponds. Both Stubbs and Fitter recorded it as common in the
area. During 1958 we recorded Toads (or toad-spawn) in the following
ponds: Goldings Hill Pond (30 March); the lower Goldings Hill Pond
(30 March): Wake Pond (30 March, 1 April); a crater near the Wake
Pond (30 March): Baldwins Hill Pond (6 April); Blackweir Pond (6
April). In addition two Toads were found on Baldwins Hill (27 April),
and one on 4 May (GM.). By August the young toads of the season
had emerged from the water and were seen in their hundreds on Sun-
shine and the adjacent plains.
Comparing our records with previous years, spawning was approx-
imately two weeks later than usual, and it seems that the cold weather
of late March and early April may have delayed spawning. Many Toads
were paired in the water on 30 March and were still paired two days
later although no sign of spawn was seen. The weather turned very
cold that night and on 4 April not a single Toad was seen although
searched for carefully, but with milder weather, spawning was in progress
in most ponds two days later.
GENERAL NOTES
The work carried out in 1958 and a synthesis of previous field notes
leads to some general suggestions, which may or may not be substan-
tiated by further study. This distribution of reptiles in the Forest was
one of the objects of the survey, and it seems that of the lizards, the
Slow-worm is found mainly in open clearings, or if trees are present,
where the leaf canopy is sparse, as with open woods of young birch.
These clearings are often very extensive. This species does, however,