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T H 



NA T U R A L 



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STORY 



vered at a distance j and its eyes are like thofe of the cat and fhark, the 



pupil la or fight, w 



hich 



is 



very 



narrow 



running 



llraight forward. They are 



obferved to live for many months without any vifible fuftenance, which experiment 



is frequently tried in Jamaica, 



<y 



eing 



their jaws with wire, and putting 



them, thus tved up, into a pond, well, or water-tub, where they often live 

 for a confiderable time; but they rife to the furface, from time to time, for breath. 



On opening this animal, the ftomach is generally found charged with ftones 



of a pointed oval but flatted fhape, to which they feem to have been worn 

 in its bowels : doubtlefs, it fwallows them not only for nourifhment, which is evi- 

 dent from the attrition and folution of their furfaces, but alfo to help its digeftion, 

 and to flir up the ofcillations of the flothful fibres of its ftomach, as many other 

 creatures do. Some people think it fwal lowed them to keep the eafier under 

 water at times j but how reafonable foever this conjecture may feem to fome 

 people, it will not take with fuch as are better acquainted with the nature of 

 aquatic animals. 



Jt is like the lizard in the fhape of the body, and the whole furface is covered 

 over, fomething like a tortoife j but the ikin may be more properly faid to be har- 

 dened into a horny fubftance from fpace to fpace, than to be furnifhed with real 

 fcales. The tail is oblong, pointed, and nearly quadrilateral, and the fcales. or 

 protuberances at the two upper angles rife upright, and are fomewhat of a lanceo 

 lated form. 



firft 



They lay their eggs in the fand j but thefe are fomewhat larger than 

 the eggs of a goofe, and, as they are pretty tranfparent, readily fhew us the 

 formation and growth of the animal, in which we obferve the whole mafs of the 

 femen mafculinum, which lies in the white round the middle of the egg, turn gra- 

 dually into the young one. Analogy may, hence, induce us to think, that the forma- 

 tion of the human fpecies from animalculae is but a phantom; and that we, like 

 other creatures, are formed of more confiderable maffes. 



LACERTA 1. Major \ fquamis dorfi lanceolath erec~lis t e nu 



chd ad extremitatem Cauda porreefis. 

 The great Lizard of Davies, 69. 



The Guana, 



This reptile, like the reft of the lizard kind, has a long forked mufcular 

 tongue, divided toes, and a fcaley ikin. It is a native of moft parts of America, 



and generally an inhabitant of the woods 5 but, like moft of the tribe, lives a very 



confiderable time without food, and changes its colour with the weather, or the 

 native moifture of its place of refidence. I have kept a 



grown Guana 



about 

 the houfe for more than two months j it was very fierce and ill-natured at the be- 

 ginning, but after fome days it grew more tame, and would, at length, pafs the 

 reateft part of the day upon the bed or couch, but it went out always at night. 

 I have never obferved it to eat any thing, except what imperceptible particles it 

 had lapped up in the air ; for it frequently threw out its forked tongue, like the cha- 

 meleon, as it walked along. 



The flefli of this creature is liked by many; people, and frequently ferved up 

 in fricafees at their tables, in which ftate they are often preferred to the beft fowls. 

 The Guana may be ealily tamed while young, and is both an innocent and beau- 

 tiful creature in that ftate. 



LACERTA 



Major cinerea maculata. SI. H. 273 



The great /potted Lizard of Ed 



This 



03 



The 



g 



fpotted 



Ground Lizard 



creature is frequent in moft parts of America, and remarkable for 

 lize and fpotted fkin: it changes 



(I know not by what chance) is more 

 reft. } 



its colour like the reft of the clafs 



d 



have a double tail than any of the 



4 



LACERTA 



V 





