NORTH AMERICAN LIZARD. Ill 



the salivating property of certain species of lizards, and for 

 believing, that such lizards, eaten raw, as they are directed to 

 be, may have been found really useful, in the treatment of 

 siphyiis, and other diseases. On this curious subject, in addi- 

 tion to what is to be met with in different foreign publications, 

 I received some interesting information from my learned and 

 amiable friend, the late Mr. Julius Yon Rohr, when he was 

 in Philadelphia, in the year 1793. The facts communicated 

 to me by that gentleman, have left me no room to doubt, 

 that the uncooked flesh of some species of lizards in South- 

 America and in the West-Indies, induce a genuine salivation, 

 of some continuance, and which has been found beneficial 

 in lepra, and other diseases, particularly those of a cutaneous 

 nature. 



I am sorry, that my account of this species of lizard is thus ne- 

 cessarily defective. Though the animal has been in my pos- 

 session for several weeks, I have not been able to make many 

 observations of consequence concerning it. It appears to be 

 an harmless animal, unless, which is highly probable, it may 

 sometimes prove injurious by emitting the white fluid which 

 I have mentioned. Though it has been much irritated by me, 

 it has never shown a disposition to bite. It seems extremely 

 unwilling to meet the light or heat of the day. When it is 

 removed from the wet moss, in which I have kept it, it 

 soon betakes itself to the same habitation, and nearly conceals 

 itself by drawing the moss about it. I am not certain, that 

 it has eaten any thing since it came into my possession. I 

 have, however, repeatedly given it worms and other animals. 

 I believe it to be a water lizard, as it is so fond of affecting the 

 wet moss. Besides, when I put it into a bason of water, it 

 swarm with great rapidity and ease. 



I weighed this animal at different times. On the 24th of 

 March, I found the weight to be 342 grains. In somewhat 

 less than an hour after, it weighed only 324 grains, having 

 lost eighteen grains. It had been recently taken out of the 

 water. Its greatest weight wasthat which I have first montioned*. 

 It is a well-ascertained fact, however, that the weight of many 



• Or five drams, and forty-two grains, 



