SAND AND GREEN LIZARDS 



eight or more eggs are laid during July, a depression 

 being made by the female into which she can deposit 

 her treasures. If the district frequented is not sandy, 

 then the eggs are deposited under leaves, or other suitable 

 cover. Insects constitute the food. The male is green 

 in colour, with a tinge of the same on the yellow under 

 parts. There is a series of black dots on the sides, each 

 with an eye-spot of whitish. There are black spots on 

 the under parts. The female is brown or grey above, 

 with large spots of dark brown, each having a centre 

 spot of white. The cream-coloured under parts of the 

 female may, or may not, be specked with black. The 

 young are not black as in Lacerta vivipara, but are grey- 

 brown above, with white spots having black edges. 

 Their under parts are whitish. The average length of 

 the adult Sand Lizard is about 7I inches. The female 

 is a little larger. The Smooth Snake is the mortal 

 enemy of this species, and both, as has been stated, are 

 found inhabiting the same territory. 



Green Lizard. — Lacerta viridis (Fig. 7). If, as is 

 accepted in some quarters, the Channel Isles can rightly 

 be included as a province coming within the survey of 

 British wild life, two other species of Lizards have to be 

 included in our reptile fauna in the persons of the Green 

 Lizard [Lacerta viridis), and Wall Lizard {Lacerta tnuralis). 

 As neither of these, however, occur on the mainland, 

 except as occasional escapes, it is not necessary to do 

 more than briefly refer to them. The Green Lizard is, 



with the exception of the Slow Worm, the largest species 

 c 23 



