5-1 Mr. Sheppard's Description of the British Lizards; 



I confess myself very much perplexed with the description Mr. 

 Pennant has given (Brit.Zool. iii. 23.) of" some very minute young- 

 lizards" that were found under stones and old logs of wood : he 

 says they had much the appearance of Lacerta palustris ; " were 

 perfectly formed, and had not the least vestiges of fins," the in- 

 dications of the larva state. These little lizards appear to me to 

 have been a new species, as it is well known that all lizards attain 

 their full growth in their larva state ; and it is not till after this 

 period that they lose their fins. 



Observations on the Larva of Lizards. 



Mr. Pennant has remarked of the larvae of the Lacerta palustris 

 (Brit. Zool. iii. 24.), that " they have a fin above and below their 

 tail ; and that on the upper part extends along the back as far as 

 the head, but both drop off as soon as the animal takes to the 

 land, being then no further of any use." In addition to this I 

 have to observe, that the fin on the back extends not merely as 

 far as the head, but quite over it to the nose ; that it is very broad 

 and scalloped, and thus gives to the animal a somewhat formi- 

 dable appearance. As to his assertion, that they take to the land 

 on changing from their larva state, frequent observation has con- 

 firmed to me that it is erroneous. The fins certainly fall off, and 

 the animals attain their perfect state in the water. That they are 

 sometimes afterwards found on land is true, but this is only in 

 consequence of the ponds in which they were living being dried 

 up by the heats of summer: being, therefore, under the necessity 

 of changing their situation, and finding no other ponds near, 

 the} r naturally creep for shelter under large stones, and into moist 

 and shady places. I have almost always had occasion to remark, 

 that those found in such situations were lean and enfeebled ; and 

 this, in addition to my having very frequently found them in a 

 2 perfect 



