— 
LIZARDS. 97 
LL. agilis occurs in various parts of England. It is, however, 
very local, e.g., it is fairly common in the neighbourhoods of 
Poole, in Dorsetshire ; of Bournemouth, in Hampshire ; of South- 
port, in Lancashire, and elsewhere ; but in most of the counties 
it is never found. It is also a native of various other countries of 
Europe, such as France, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Ger- 
many, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, and the western and 
central parts of Asia. 
The female lays eggs to the number of about twelve, and 
buries them in sand, entrusting their incubation to the sun. Her 
fertile eggs, like those of other Lizards, may be hatched arti- 
ficially. The Sand Lizard often sheds its skin in an almost entire 
condition. The slough is a curious and beautiful object, showing 
clearly the markings of the animal it has lately covered. L. agilis 
seems to.cast its eruview more frequently, and in a more perfect 
condition, than do its relatives, the Eyed and Green Lizards. 
The Sand Lizard‘has a shorter snout and is altogether more 
stoutly built than LZ. viridis. The rostral shield does not touch 
the nostril. The scales on the back are hexagonal and well- 
keeled ; on the sides they are smaller in size, and either only 
slightly keeled or perfectly smooth. The tail is about as long 
again as the rest of the body. The entire length of an English 
specimen is about 8in. At present I have a continental Sand 
Lizard which is quite a foot in length. When first I obtained 
him, he was exceedingly wild and shy, and always ready to bite, 
but now he is quite tame. 
These Lizards certainly deserve their specific name of ayilis, 
for they are wonderfully fleet. I shall not easily forget the 
difficulty I had when I tried to catch the one just mentioned after 
I had Jet him loose upon a smooth lawn. 
Unfortunately the Sand Lizard is sometimes a cannibal, and 
should not be kept in thé same Vivarium with other Lizards 
smaller than himself, for he may eat them even when he has 
been well supplied with suitable and legitimate food. I have 
seen some devouring a relative nearly as large as themselves. 
L. agilis is generally found on sandy soil, but it may occasion- 
ally be met with in marshy places. It is frequently associated, 
in thought at any rate, with the very beautiful and rare little 
H 
