COMMON LIZARD. 25 



not exceeding from five and a half to six inches 

 in length. The tail is longer in proportion, and 

 of a different shape, retaining the same thickness 

 for the first half of its length, and then diminishing 

 gradually to its extremity ; the palate is without 

 teeth, the temple is covered with small polygonal 

 plates, with a large angular one in the centre. 

 The scales on the back are long, narrow, and 

 hexagonal, and less distinctly keeled than in the 

 next species. The head is more depressed and 

 the nose sharper. The plates of the belly are in 

 six rows, with two small marginal series ; the pre- 

 anal plate is bordered by two rows of scales. 

 The fore legs reach to the eye, the hind legs 

 extend along two -thirds of the sides ; pores 

 from nine to twelve on each thigh. The back is 

 brown, olive, or reddish, with a black band on 

 each side from the head to the tail ; a second 

 dark band runs along the side, and is edged with 

 white. The under parts are spotted with black 

 upon a whitish ground, generally with a bluish 

 or greenish tinge.* 



The relative size and viviparous character are 

 the best features whereby to distinguish this 

 species from the next. 



* Lord Glenn ont's " Keptiles of Europe," p. 184. 



