294 REPTILIA SAURIA. [LACERTA. 



An extremely abundant species in all parts of the country, frequenting 

 heaths, moors, woods, sand-banks, &c. Is fond of basking in the sun- 

 shine, and in warm weather is extremely active. Forms a retreat under 

 ground, in which it resides wholly during .Winter. Is first seen in 

 March, or early in April. Feeds principally on insects. Is ovovivipa- 

 rous ; the young broods appearing in June or July. Tail extremely brit- 

 tle, but, when broken, gradually reproduced. The renewed part, how- 

 ever, according to Duges, never acquires vertebrae. 



(2.) L. osdura, Sheppard in Linn. Trans, vol. vii. p. 50. 



This supposed species is principally characterized by the circumstance of 

 the " tail bulging out a little below the base, which gives it the appearance 

 of having been cut off and set on again." I am indebted to Mr. Gray for 

 a suggestion, which he has since published in the Proceedings of the 

 Zoological Society, (1834. p. 101.) that it is nothing more than the male 

 of the common species in summer, when under the full influence of sexual 

 excitement. I think this extremely probable. 



(3.) L. anguiformis, Sheppard in Linn. Trans, vol. vii. p. 51. 



" Head very light brown above, with four dark spots ; yellowish white 

 beneath : back with a black line along the middle, reaching from the 

 head to about half an inch beyond the hind legs ; on each side of this a 

 broader one of dark brown (these beyond the black line unite, and reach to 

 , the end of the tail) ; next to these succeeds a fine yellow stripe that extends 

 to the end of the tail ; then a black one, which reaches no further than 

 the middle line, and afterwards a dark brown stripe mixed with a few 

 yellow spots extending to the end of the tail : a little above the hind legs, 

 in some specimens, is a slight division of the scales, forming a transverse 

 line : belly yellowish white, with a few black spots : tail, under part dirty 

 white, spotted with black as far as within an inch of the end ; the re- 

 mainder marked lengthways with long bars of black : legs dark brown 

 spotted with black. Length seven inches and upwards." SHEPP. 



Another species instituted by Mr. Sheppard, but too imperfectly cha- 

 racterized to rank as certainly distinct from those already described. Mr. 

 Sheppard states that he once saw a specimen above a foot long, a length to 

 which, I believe, the common L. agilis never attains. Unfortunately, 

 however, this gentleman has in his description almost entirely confined 

 himself to noticing the colours, than which, in these Reptiles, nothing can 

 be more variable*. 



Obs. Before concluding this account of our British Lacertte, it may 

 be stated that several other allied species, formerly confounded under the 

 general name of L. agilis, are known on the Continent, some of which 

 may possibly occur in this country, although hitherto overlooked by 

 naturalists. Pennant speaks of a Lizard, " which was killed near Wos- 

 cot, in the parish of Swinford, Worcestershire, in 1741, which was two 

 feet six inches long, and four inches in girth t." He adds, that " another 

 was killed at Penbury, in the same county." It is very possible that 

 these may have been the L. ocellata of Daudin, which is found in the 

 South of Europe, and which, according to Duges, sometimes exceeds two 



* Mr. Sheppard thinks that this species may be the Lacerta anguiformis of Ray. It is clear, 

 however, that Ray, in bjs enumeration of the British species of " Eft or Swft, as he terms 

 them, has only copied from Merrett, ( Pinax, p. 169. ) who, I suspect, by the Lacertus terrestrix 

 anguiformis in Ertcetis, meant nothing more than our Common Lizard, which he calls angui- 

 formis, in order to distinguish it from the scale-less Efts, belonging to the modern genus Triton, 

 between which and the true Lacertce, the writers of that day did not sufficiently discriminate. 

 Merrett's other species, viz. 1. Terrestris vulg. venire nigro-maculato, 2. Parvus terrestrix 

 fuscus oppido rarus, 3. Aquat. fuscus, and 4. Aquat. niger, are probably all referable to one 

 or other of our two well-known British species of Triton, being called terrestres or a<iin>tiri. 

 according as they may happen to have been found on land or in water. 



t No further light is thrown upon this species, in the Illustrations of the Natural History of 

 Worcestershire, lately published by Dr. Hastings, who simply alludes to the circumstance, as, 

 mentioned by Pennant. 



