110 NEW SPECIES OF 



Lacerta subviolacea: cauda compressa, mediocri; corpore 

 subviolaceo, glabro, viscido, poroso ; maculis flavis cinereisquc 

 vario ; palmis tetradactylis, plantis pentadactylis, omnibus mu- 

 ticis. 



The Lacerta subviolacea belongs to that section of the fami- 

 ly of lizards, which are designated by the name of Salaman- 

 ders ( Salamandm* . ) Its natural position in the system will be 

 near to the Lacerta Salamandra, to which, in several respects, it 

 is closely allied. Like that species, it emits from difterent 

 parts of its body, but particularly from the upper part of its 

 tail, a milk-like fluid, which escapes from the animal in globules 

 or drops of difterent sizes. This fluid is extremely glutinous, 

 or adhesive. It does not seem to be of a gummous nature, for 

 it is insoluble in water, but appears to be rapidly dissolved by 

 alcohol. The emission of this fluid seems to be a voluntary 

 act ; for when it is irritated, the animal discharges it in large 

 quantities. 



I was desirous of knowing the effects of this fluid upon the 

 system. With this view, I have made a few experiments, 

 which are as yet too incomplete to be fully depended upon. 

 The following experiments, however, have been made with care. 

 Having pressed out from the tail of the animal, a small por- 

 tion of the white fluid, I applied it to my tongue. It com- 

 municated almost instantaneously, the impression of a powerful 

 astringent, but was succeeded, in a very short time, by a sense 

 of causticity, and a taste very similar to that of the muriate of 

 mercury, or corrosive sublimate. This last impression, notwith- 

 standing repeated washings of the mouth, remained upon the 

 tongue the greater part of a day. It occasioned a plentiful 

 discharge of saliva from the mouth. Some of my pupils 

 and other gentlemen repeated the experiment, and with simi- 

 lar effects. 



The peculiar taste, and particularly the salivation, occasioned 

 by this North-American lizard, induce me to believe, that there 

 is more foundation than many physicians have imagined, for 

 the reports of the Spanish and other physicians, concerning 



• " Salamandrs, corpore nudo, pedibus muticis, palmis tetradactylis," Gmelin. 



