LIZARDS. 121 



pertinacity. It manifests much ferocity also in 

 the seizure of its animal prey. Its flesh is eaten, 

 and highly esteemed ; nor are its excellences 

 esteemed only by the epicure ; for a medical 

 value is attached to rings of the skin stripped 

 from its tail, which are worn by the simple natives 

 of those regions as preventives of paralysis, and 

 curatives of painful humours. 



Family VI. Lacertad^e. 



(Lizards.) 



The two species which constitute the only 

 British representatives of the vast Saurian Order 

 are members of this Family, which is known by 

 the following characters : — 



The body is long, slender, and elegant, with- 

 out spines on any part ; the toes are free, long, 

 and very unequal ; the tongue long, extensile, 

 sheathed at the base, and terminating in two 

 long slender points ; there is a collar round 

 the neck, formed by a transverse range of 

 broad scales, separated from those of the breast 

 by a space covered with minute ones, and over- 

 lapping them ; a part of the bones of the skull 

 projects over the temples and orbits ; the palate 

 is in general furnished with minute teeth, and 

 those of the jaw are placed on the same line, and 

 have a cutting. edge. 



The upper parts of the body are covered with 

 small overlapping scales ; the top of the head 

 and the temples are covered with broad plates 

 or shields, of various but regular forms, the mar- 

 gins of which are in contact. On the slight 



