THE GREEN LIZARD. 35 



the Green Lizard (Lacerta viridis), a species 

 which, he is well acquainted with, having fre- 

 quently seen it in Germany, and received speci- 

 mens from the Channel Islands. Gilbert White, 

 in his " Natural History of Selborne," has the 

 following remark, which probably applies to this 

 species : " I remember well to have seen for- 

 merly several beautiful green Lacerti on the 

 sunny sand-banks near Farnham, in Surrey, and 

 Ray admits there are such in Ireland." All we 

 can say to such evidence is, that the facts are 

 too strong and well attested to deny that the 

 Green Lizard has been several times found in 

 this country ; and though it is quite possible, 

 nay, certain, that many a time and oft they have 

 been brought from Guernsey, and turned adrift 

 here, they are at least naturalized and deserve a 

 notice in any history of " Our Reptiles." Some 

 of the more recent captures may have been indi- 

 viduals from the ' imports/ but it is equally 

 probable that the Green Lizards mentioned by 

 White were really indigenous, and the same 

 species. Who shall determine satisfactorily that 

 they were not ? 



The large Lizard quoted by Pennant can 

 scarcely be the same as the present, unless the 

 length was much exaggerated. He thus records 

 it: 



The most uncommon species we ever met with any account 

 D 2 



