Miscellaneous. 449 



these, and are inspiratory between their costal cartilages. Between 

 the diaphragmatic and intermediate sets of ribs, and between their 

 cartilages they are throughout expiratory. The levatores costarum 

 draw the posterior portion of the lower ribs backwards. In the a*>s 

 and the dog, the upper fasciculi of the serratus magnus are expira- 

 tory, the lower inspiratory, and the intermediate neutral. In man, 

 the greater part of the fasciculi of this muscle is expiratory. In the 

 ass, the lower fibres of the serratus posticus inferior are inspiratory, 

 and the upper fibres expiratory. In the dog and in man, all are 

 throughout expiratory. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Notice of a Black Lizard taken in Cheshire. By W. Wells, Esq. 

 To Sir W. Jar dine. 

 Ilimrose House, Bootle, Liverpool, April 12th, 1846. 

 Sir, — When botanizing at Bidston, Cheshire, a few days ago, I 

 met with a lizard a description of which I send you, hoping you will 

 excuse the liberty which I have taken and the imperfections of my 

 remarks, as I am but a tyro in this department of science. 



The head, back and throat are a shining black ; scales of the belly 

 and tail black, tipped with dark brown. The scales of the head are 

 less numerous than in Zootoca vivipara, which it resembles in size 

 and shape except that it is more slender, the tail is longer and more 

 tapering, the head is more bulky, the eyes are perfectly circular and 

 surrounded by a beautiful ring of minute scales, the scales forming 

 the eyebrows do not project over the eye, and those of the back are 

 much smaller than in the common species, which was abundant in 

 the same locality. 



Dimensions. 



Length of head 7^ inch. 



Body 1% 



Tail 3^ 



Total 6^^ 



Greatest breadth of head ^ 



Circumference of body 1-| 



Length of longest toe -I 



Shortest -j*^ 



Scales of the head 20 



Joints [scales?] of the tail 62 



I am aware that in the * Mag. Nat. Hist.' vol. i. p. 189, New Series, 

 mention is made of a black lizard by G. W. in a note to his paper 

 on Vipers, but I conceive that the difference between that and the 

 one I have attempted to describe entitles me to consider them dif- 

 ferent. I have kept a considerable number both of the viviparous 

 and the sand lizard, but none of them evinced the very irritable, un- 

 tameable disposition of this one ; they are in general easily tamed, 

 but the black one seizes everything that is put near it, and never 



