complained of is not given in either letter, but it is clear from one passage in the Bishop's that the Mayor was still somewhat suspect: outhir ye suffer it of malice, (ie., the disorder) willing therby our churche and we shulde loose our privileage

or elles that ye be not worthy to have governaunce." The main contest was, however, at an end, and the last record in the Ledger definitely relating to it is the transcript from the King's Remembrancer's Memoranda Roll already referred to.

Thus the second great conflict between the bishop and his citizens left him completely victorious. Throughout its progress it is evident that the Bishop's claims were legally indisputable. His explicit royal grants and charters, his long and undisturbed possession, as well as the frequent acknowledgment of his claims by the citizens themselves, constituted a mass of unassailable evidence. It was therefore impossible for the citizens to attack him by process of law with any hope of success. The alternative of buying up his claims or securing commutation of them for a fee-farm rent was legally possible only with his consent, which was steadily refused. Nothing but intervention by the King on behalf of the citizens could obtain this consent from the Bishop, and it was in the highest degree unlikely that, in such a troublous century, he would bring pressure to bear on so powerful a magnate.1 The importance of the Bishop's influence and connections is evident all through the conflict. Two of the arbitrators suggested by him in 1467, whose judgment the citizens then declined, sat as members of the King's Council to hear the case officially in 1469,2 while the third acted as one of the arbitrators appointed by the King in 1471.3 Again, the King's letter of 1472, the second enjoining the taking of the Mayor's oath, refers to the Bishop as "our cousin," possibly with intention.4

P.

1D.N.B. Bishop Beauchamp acted as chaplain to the Garter but was not Chancellor till 1475, nor Dean of Windsor till 1478. Duke, P.H., 319, speaks as if he held these offices at the time of the contest. 2 Ledger B., compare fols. 83 a and 86 b.

3 See above.

H.M.C.R., IV. pp. 206-7.

See above, and reference there given. The breviat already referred to tries to cast doubt on the validity of the grant of 1472 by suggesting that it was obtained by favour due to this relationship.

However valiant individual Mayors might be in beginning the contest, it was difficult for them to hold out long against such an opponent; thus John Hall found himself imprisoned by order of the King for his behaviour before the Council; John Aport had to prove in the Exchequer his right as an alien to hold lands and tenements for which he had long ago secured the necessary licence;1 William Johnes and William Boket were commanded by the King to submit; William Eston was summoned before the Exchequer for contempt.

Even the collective resources of the citizens were inadequate to the maintenance of such a struggle; the costs of the continual journeys to London formed a very serious consideration, and the Chamberlains' accounts for 1473-4 show this unmistakeably.2 The fact that the mortmain case was going on at the same time complicated matters extremely,especially in respect of finance,since the seizure by the Escheator of the lands and tenements in question tended to diminish the city revenues at a time when money was specially needed. From the Account Roll just quoted it appears that the Mayor and Citizens had ordered the payment of ten shillings to the Escheator in order that he should not distrain. But the account of the mortmain case indicated that this can have been of little use, since there were considerable arrears to be paid up to the Community at its conclusion.

The failure of this determined attempt of the citizens to emancipate themselves seems to have convinced them of the uselessness of the struggle, and not until the Reformation had

This case is recorded in the Exchequer Rolls concurrently with the mortmain case; see Section IV., A, and references given. Separate writs were issued but the two parties were summoned at the same time. Both Aportand the Community vindicated themselves by reference to legal records, and it is impossible to avoid the suspicion that both accusations came from the Bishop.

M.C.S., Box 3, Roll 5. Translated in G.A., No. 15, March 8th, 1884. Among the Foreign Expenses appear the cost of the travelling and maintenance of the deputation, expenses for parchment and the writing of deeds and transcripts, fees for counsel and entertainment for those skilled in the law. Among the gifts is recorded the cost of wine and sweetmeats for the King's Attorney. The largest sum of all is £20, to Thomas Pyrie, the City Clerk.

altered the standing of the Bishop did they attempt to renew it. In the fifteenth century an ecclesiastical lord could still be sure of the King's support in any contest with his men, and the latter could not yet appeal to the royal jealousy of ecclesiastical jurisdictions.

(To be continued.)

THE REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, AND FISHES

OF WILTSHIRE.

By G. BATHURST HONY, B.A.

In the following pages I have endeavoured to give an account of the cold blooded vertebrates of this county. The information on which it is based is, however, so exceedingly scanty that I have hardly been able to give a definite distribution in a single case; but I hope that many more people will send me observations on these groups from their own districts, and thus enable a more accurate account to be published at some future date. When one

is working at a local fauna every insignificant fact-negative as well as positive-is valuable, and I shall therefore be very grateful for any item of news about our Wiltshire vertebrates.

The order and nomenclature followed is that of the British Museum Guide to the British Vertebrates.

REPTILES.

ORDER SQUAMATA.

Sub-order Ophidia.

GRASS SNAKE (Tropidonotus natrix).-Generally distributed. [SMOOTH SNAKE (Coronella austriaca).—This species—the rarest of the three British snakes-has not been recorded from this county, but examples have been captured in Dorset, Hampshire, and Berkshire, and it will probably be found in Wilts eventually.] ADDER (Vipera berus).--Found in the south of the county, and in Savernake Forest, but not (so far as I am aware) elsewhere.

Sub-order Lacertilia.

SLOW WORM (Anguis fragilis).—Generally distributed, but not usually common, One was seen eating a young adder in Savernake Forest on May 5th, 1886 (Marlb. Coll. Nat. Hist. Report, 1886); and two were found fighting in the forest on May 6th, 1894 (ib.,

COMMON LIZARD (Lacerta vivipara).-Probably generally distributed, but not common.

[SAND LIZARD (Lacerta agilis).-Has not actually been recorded from the county, but is probably present in South Wilts, as it occurs in Hampshire and Dorset. I must state, however, that most of the records I have are of "Lizards (species unknown)." Dr. Maton (Natural History of a Part of the County of Wilts, p. 69) refers to L. agilis, but this name was used for the preceding species.]

AMPHIBIANS.

ORDER URODELA.

CRESTED NEWT (Molge cristata).—Probably generally distributed, COMMON NEWT (Molge vulgaris).—Generally distributed.

PALMATED NEWT (Molge palmata).-Mr. Newall remembers catching three or four as a boy (Wylye district), but this is the only record I have of it in the county.

ORDER ANURA.

COMMON FROG (Rana temporaria).-Generally distributed. In the Hall of the British Museum (Natural History) is exhibited an albino frog, which was found in a barley field at Tisbury during the harvest of 1890. It was presented alive to the Zoological Society by W. Hannaford, Esq., and lived in the Society's Gardens until the following summer.

COMMON TOAD (Bufo vulgaris).—Generally distributed.

[NATTERJACK TOAD (Bufo calamita).-Has not been recorded, but may possibly be present in the county.]

FISHES.

TELEOSTEI.

ORDER ACANTHOPTERYGII.

MILLER'S THUMB (Cottus gobio).-Probably generally distributed, but rarely seen. Mr. Newall tells me it is common in the Wylye district, and Mr. Goddard says the same of Hilmarton.

[RUFFE (Acerina cernua).—Not yet recorded from Wilts, but probably present.]

VOL. XXXIX,-NO. CXXIV.

S