179 



The turtlrs are of vv/o species ; one is an inha- 

 bitant of the sea, denomin.ited by Linnjcus tes- 

 tudo coriacea ; the other, testudo lutaria, is found 

 in fresh water, particularly in the lakes of the 

 southern provinces, 



Tlie frog's are the green frog (ranaesculenta) 

 and the temporary frog (rana temporaria). 



The land toads are similar to those of Italy, 

 and live altogether in moist and wet places. The 

 water toads are of two kinds, the arunco (rana 

 arunco) and the thaul (rana lutea). The aruii- 

 CO is a little larger than the temporary frog, 

 and nearly of the same colour. The body is tu- 

 berciilated, and the feet webbed ; the fore feet 

 have four toes and the hinder five, ail furnished 

 with sniall nails almost imperceptible. It is 

 called by (he Araucanians gerico, which signifies 

 lord of the wa'cr, as they believe that it watches 

 over the preservation and contributes to the salu- 

 brity of thewaters. The ihcnil is less than *he 

 common or greeu f ^^a v,hich it resembles in its 

 forjii. Its skin i-i yllovv and covered wi li 

 tubercle*, and its feet are shaped like those of the 

 arunco, but not palmated. 



The most remarkable of the terrestrial lizards 

 is the pallum ( lacerta pallum) of whose skins 

 the peasants makethcir purees. This lizard lives 

 usually under ground in the plains ; its iei.gth, 

 exclusive of the tail, is ? little more than eleven 

 inches^, and it is three inches in circumference; 



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