190
THE ESSEX NATURALIST
The accompanying drawing shows the series of bones, omitting
the loose epiphyses. The bones have been arranged in order with
a clear discontinuity in the middle of the body, where a consider-
able number of vertebrae are missing. Those who wish to see
the actual skeleton may do so in the Museum of the Colchester
Natural History Society.
The Reptiles and Amphibians of Essex,
1960-1961
By G. Malenoir
The Herpetological section of the Club carried out a preliminary
survey of several areas of Essex. This is a parallel programme to
the Epping Forest survey, reports of which have been published
earlier.
Very little has been written about the reptiles and amphibians
of Essex, and even that gives the impression that the county
herpetofauna is of little interest, although this is contrary to our
experience.
One of our major discoveries has been the large populations of
Adders (Vipera berus) that have been seen and recorded in the
county. They are particularly common in the coastal areas, on
the sea walls and tidal marshes, and extend inland for several
miles to the heathlands, woodlands, railway cuttings and embank-
ments. Concentrations of Adders have been seen at the following
places:—Burnham-on-Crouch, Rochford, Hullbridge, Paglesham,
Hadleigh, Laindon, Billericay, Hockley, Galleywood Common,
Mill Green, Thorpe-le-Soken, Barling, Danbury and Highwood
Common. We have also had reports from Peldon near Colchester,
Gt. Baddow, Bishops Stortford, Rayleigh and Tilbury Dock.
I quote some of our records to give some idea of the numbers
concerned. At Rochford a small area of undeveloped land 150
yards long by 75 yards wide, lying between some new houses,
produced on 15th April 1960, eight Adders, four of each sex, one
being the largest female I have found, a specimen of some 283/4
inches. On 15th May we took from the same place a melanistic
male Adder about 20 inches long. On 30th July a visit was made
to Billericay, and although the weather was a little too hot, we
took a male Adder in a field and two pairs along the railway
embankment. We went to Hullbridge on 23rd April 1961 and,
although it was raining heavily most of the time, we searched the
long grasses along the sea wall and recorded five male Adders and
an immature specimen. The 7th May found us checking the
slopes and tidal marshes from Hadleigh Castle to Benfleet and
despite a very fierce wind, which reptiles abhor, we still managed
to find two pairs on secluded clearings on the higher ground and
a male on the lower marsh.