384 



at Natural 



vary too in colour greatly, and they differ 

 considerably in form. But the principal 

 distinction between the Lizard species arises 

 from the manner of bringing forth their 

 young. Some are viviparous ; others emit 

 their spawn like fishes. The Crocodile, the 

 Iguana, and all the larger kinds, produce 

 eggs, which are hatched by the vivifying 

 heat of the sun : the animals that issue from 

 them are complete on leaving their shells, 

 and their first efforts to run are in order to 

 procure subsistence in their native element. 

 The viviparous kinds, in which are all the 

 Salamanders, are produced from the bodies 

 of the females perfect and active, and un- 

 dergo no future change : but those which 

 are bred in the water, and, as is generally 

 supposed, from spawn, suffer a very con- 

 siderable change in their form ; being gene- 

 rated with external skins or coverings, 

 which sometimes enclose their feet, and give 

 them a serpentine appearance. To these 

 adscititious skins fins are superadded above 

 and below their tails, which assist the ani- 

 mals in swimming ; but when the false skins 

 drop off, these likewise disappear ; and then 

 the Lizards, with their four feet, are com- 

 pletely formed, and exchange the water for 

 the land. The most important of all these 

 will be found described in other parts of 

 this volume ; and we shall therefore have to 

 consider in this place those only which are 

 denominated Lacertidce, or True Lizards, 

 which are bright-eyed, active, slender little 

 animals, adorned with brilliant colours, and 

 whose aspect and manners have nothing re- 

 pulsive about them. 



The GREEN LIZARD. (Lacerta agiJis.) 

 This elegant species, which is found in all 

 the warmer parts of Europe, and seems 

 pretty generally diffused throughout the Old 

 Continent, is from ten to fifteen inches in 

 length ; exhibiting a rich and varied mix- 

 ture of darker and lighter green, interspersed 

 with spots and marks of yellow, brown, &c. 

 The head is green, covered with large an- 

 gular scales ; the rest of the upper parts 

 with very small ovate ones : the tail, which 

 is commonly much longer than the body, 

 is marked into very numerous scaly rings ; 



ttI8) 



and the under part of the animal, both on 

 the body and limbs, is of a pale blue-green 

 cast : beneath the throat is a kind of collar, 

 formed by a row of scales much larger than 

 the rest ; the abdomen and under surface of 

 the limbs is likewise covered with scales : 

 the tongue is moderately long, broad ut 

 the base, bifid towards the tip, and covered 

 on its broad part with numerous rows of 

 minute sharp papillae pointing backwards. 



and thus the better enabling the animal to 

 retain and swallow its prey, which consists 

 chiefly of insects, small worms, &c. The 

 Green Lizard is found in various situations, 

 in gardens, about warm walls, buildings, &c. 

 It is extremely active, pursuing its insect 

 prey with great celerity, and readily es- 

 caping from pursuit when disturbed If 

 taken, however, it soon becomes familiar, 

 and to a certain degree may even be tamed ; 

 for which reason it is regarded with favour 

 in many countries. It appears to run into 

 many varieties both as to size and colour, 

 but in all these states the particular charac- 

 teristics of the species are easily ascertained. 



The VARIEGATED LIZARD. (Teius te- 

 guixin.) The colour of this large species is 

 highly beautiful, consisting of an elegant 

 variegation of brown, blackish, and purple 

 spots, on a pale bluish-white, and, in some 

 parts, yellowish ground. The head is co- 

 vered, as in the Green Lizard, with large 

 scales or plates ; the body with small scales, 

 so disposed as to mark the sides into nu- 

 merous tapering annul! or strias ; and the 

 tail, which is very long, is surrounded by 

 extremely numerous rings of small square 

 scales, and tapers to a slender point. The 

 head is rather longer and more tapering than 

 that of the Green Lizard : the tongue is 

 broad, flat, long, forked at the tip, and cu- 

 riously striated on each side. Native of 

 South America. 



The VIVIPAROUS LIZARD. (Zootpca vivi- 

 para.~) As its name imports, this reptile 

 is produced alive. It frequents thickets, 

 heaths, and sunny banks ; and several are 

 often seen in such situations basking in the 

 summer sun, and watching for their insect 

 prey. They burrow in the ground, and 

 retreat to their hiding-places on the slightest 

 alarm. The average length of this species is 

 about six inches. 



We have specified three species of this 

 group, and others will be found scattered 

 throughout this work. Lizards are so nu- 

 merous in genera and species that we must 

 refer our readers who are desirous of making 

 further acquaintance with them to the ela- 

 borate and admirable descriptive Catalogue 

 of Lizards in the British Museum, by J. E. 

 Gray, F. B. S., a goodly volume of nearly 

 300 pages. 



LIMNORIA. A genus of Isopodous Crus- 

 tacea, in which the head is as broad as the 

 first segment of the body, and the eyes gra- 



I.IMNORTA TFF 



