TRUE LIZARDS. 



163 



Wall-Lizard. 



The last representative of the typical genus that we shall notice 

 is the beautiful wall-lizard (L. muralis), of which a group is depicted 

 in our coloured Plate. This southern species, which inhabits the countries 

 bordering both sides of the Mediterranean, and extends eastwards into Persia, 

 belongs to a group in which the edge of the collar on the neck is even or but 

 slightly serrated, and the scales of the back are granular. Attaining in Germany 

 a length of from 7 to 7J inches, but reaching from 8 to 9J inches in Italy, this 

 species has a series of granules between the shields above the eyes, while the scales 

 of the abdomen are arranged in six (rarely eight) rows, and those on the upper 

 surface of the leg are larger than those on the back; and there is but a single 



VIVIPAROUS LIZARD (uat. size.) 



(postnasal) scale behind each nostril. In colour the wall-lizard presents such an 

 astonishing variation, that it is almost impossible to give any general description. 

 In German examples the ground-colour of the back is, however, often brown or 

 grey, with bronze-green reflections in sunlight, upon which are blackish streaks, 

 marblings, and spots ; while the flanks have a row of blue spots ; and the under- 

 parts vary from milk-white to copper-red, frequently variegated by spots or 

 marblings. In Southern Europe these lizards may be seen basking on almost every 

 wall, old building, or face of rock, where they delight all beholders with their 

 activity and tameness. " Scarcely two," writes Leith- Adams, " are marked alike ; 

 the brightness and variety of their hues are most beautiful and attractive, and, like 

 the chamaeleon, they change colour with the coruscations of sunshine, but, of 



