212 Miscellaneous. 



Description of a New Lizard discovered by Mr. Dyson in Venezuela. 

 By J. E. Gray, Esq., F.R.S., F.Z.S. 



In the ' Annals and Magazine of Natural History ' I described a 

 lizard, from Columbia, which Mr. Brandt sent me under the name of 

 Argalia marmorata, and considered it as the type of a peculiar family. 

 In Mr. Dyson's collection, just received at the Museum, there is a 

 second species of this genus from Venezuela, differing from the former 

 not only in the colouring, but in the size of the head and the com- 

 parative length of the tail. 



This genus has much the appearance of the Barisice, but is at 

 once known from them and other New World Zonuridce by having 

 femoral pores, by the position of the nostrils, and by the scales on 

 the side of the body not being granular, though rather smaller than 

 those of the back. 



Argalia olivacea. 



Olive-green ; beneath pale brown ; sides of neck and body yellow 

 spotted ; tail rather longer than the body and head, thick at the base. 

 Palms of the feet bright yellow. 



Inhab. Venezuela. 



Mr. Dyson found a pair of these lizards on a tree in the moun- 

 tains, 8000 feet above the level of the sea, near the Colonia de Tova, 

 by a tree called Grand Cedro, the largest known in Venezuela, and 

 much larger than that described by Humboldt. 



They now form part of the collection of the British Museum. The 

 sexes are quite alike in form and colour. — From the Proceedings of 

 the Zoological Society, June 22, 1847. 



SWARM OF LADYBIRDS (COCCINELLJE). 



As several accounts of a swarm of ladybirds have appeared in the 

 daily papers and have excited some interest, I send you a few notes 

 made on this somewhat extraordinary phenomenon during a stay of 

 a few days on the Isle of Thanet. On Friday, August 8th, I was at 

 Broadstairs. The wind was in the north-east ; and a good deal of 

 rain fell, after a drought in that district of six months' duration. On 

 the Saturday it became fine, with a strong wind from the south- 

 west. Early in the morning, a few ladybirds made their appearance. 

 Their number kept increasing during the whole of Saturday, Sunday 

 and Monday, when the esplanade and cliffs on the west side of 

 the town were literally covered with them. They were evidently 

 borne upon the wind, and were most numerous at the edges of the 

 cliffs, as if they caught there as a last refuge before being carried 

 out to sea again. The stalks of the dried plants were literally 

 covered with these insects ; and the stems of Dipsacus, Centaurea 

 and other plants looked as if they were borne down by a crop of red 

 berries. The white dresses of the ladies attracted them especially, 

 and gave no little annoyance to those who were afraid of them. 

 They are however perfectly harmless, and, excepting for their dis- 

 agreeable smell, need not be avoided. These creatures are carni- 

 vorous, and, of course, could not find food in such immense quan- 



