THE GREEN LIZARD, LACERTA VIRIDIS 69 



as indigenous British reptiles. The real reason why 

 the green lizard finds a place here is simply because 

 according to the " County and Vice-County Divisions 

 of the British Isles" (for biological purposes), the 

 Channel Islands form one division ; and as the green 

 lizard and the wall hzard are both indigenous in those 

 islands, it has been necessary for the sake of uniformity 

 and accuracy to include both species in this book.^ 



Distribution. — In Europe the distribution of the 

 green lizard may be said to be mainly in the centre 

 and southern portions of that continent. It is fairly 

 common in France. I recently had a specimen of the 

 asp {Vipera aspis) sent to me from the Gironde 

 district which contained a full-grown green lizard in 

 its gullet. It is also found in Italy, the south of 

 Switzerland, Sicily, Greece, Poland, Austria, Barbary, 

 and the Morea. It is not indigenous to England, 

 Scotland, or Ireland, but is so in the Channel Isles. 

 It is essentially an inhabitant of warm and temperate 

 climates, and hence is found to be common in those 

 areas washed by the Mediterranean. 



The belief which many people in the south of 

 England have, that the green lizard is truly indigenous, 

 has been supported, or possibly originated, by a remark 

 of Gilbert White's in the Natural History of Selhorne. 



^ This sheet was issued by Alexander Somerville, B.Sc, F.L.S., after 

 consultation with most of the leading naturalists in this country ; in it 

 the whole country is mapped out into divisions according to natural 

 boundaries. It is most valuable to field naturalists in tracing out dis- 

 tribution. 



