92 BRITISH LIZARDS 



" Europe ; Northern and Western Asia ; Africa, 

 north of the equator. 



" Lacerta vivipa7^a, the Common Lizard. 



" Head small ; snout moderate, obtuse. Eostral not 

 touching the nostril ; normally a single post-nasal, a 

 single anterior loreal, in contact with the fronto-nasal, 

 and 4 upper labials anterior to the sub-ocular ; no 

 granules between the supra-oculars and the supra- 

 ciliaries, occipital small, usually smaller than the inter- 

 parietal; temple covered with irregular flat scales, 

 among which a masseteric is often, and a tympanic 

 constantly, distinct. Gular fold feebly marked, or 

 absent. 14 to 21 gular scales on a line between 

 the collar and the third pair of chin shields ; collar 

 with serrated edge, composed of 7 or 9 plates. Dorsal 

 scales hexagonal, longer than broad, more or less 

 distinctly keeled, not or but sHghtly imbricate, some- 

 what smaller than the laterals, which are smooth ; 

 nuchal scales roundish, smooth, or nearly so ; 2 

 lateral scales correspond to the length of a ventral 

 plate ; 26 to 37 scales across the middle of the 

 body. Ventral plates in 6 or 8 longitudinal series, 

 the second series on each side from the median ventral 

 line the largest; 24 to 30 transverse series. Two 

 semicircles of scales border the pre-anal shield. The 

 adpressed limbs meet, or the hind-limb reaches the 

 wrist or the elbow. Foot usually longer than the 

 head. Femoral pores, 7 to 13. Tail thick, once 



