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IV. Description of the British Lizards ; and of a new British 

 Species of Viper. By Revett Sheppard, A.B. F.L.S. 



Read March 2, 1802. 



1 he class of the animal creation denominated by Linnaeus 

 Amphibia, is enveloped in great obscurity from the antipathy which 

 mankind almost invariably entertain to the subjects that com- 

 pose it. It is this that rendered Mr. Pennant's description of the 

 Lizards of our own country so very short and unsatisfactory as 

 Ave find it. He describes but three species, viz. Lacerta agi- 

 lis, L. palustris, and L. vulgaris ; merely mentioning two others 

 from Ray's Synopsis, viz. Lacertus parvus terrestris fuscus oppido 

 rants, and Lacertus terrestris anguiforinis in ericetis : and from 

 Ray's very cursory account, it seems evident that he described 

 them only from report. Thus then the British Lizards hitherto de- 

 scribed may, I think, be fairly reduced to three. To these I have 

 been fortunate enough to add two, if not three, that are entirely 

 new. 



DIV. I. LAND LIZARDS. 



* Scali/, with round verticillated tails. 



1. LACERTA AGIEIS. SCALY OR SWIFT LIZAKD. 



Head, upper part light brown, with a few black spots ; dirty white 

 beneath. 



Bach, ground colour light brown ; a line of irregular black spots 

 along the middle; next to this a stripe, spotted alternately with 

 black and white; then succeeds a broad dark brown one, with 



vol. vxi. n a line 



