381 NATURAL HISTORY. 



Class III. . . REPTIUA. (Lat. Creeping things.} 



Order I 3A URA. (Gr. Soupa, a Lizard.) 



Sub-order I. LEPTOGLOSS^E. (Gr. AeTrrof, slender; -ylitiaaa, the tongue.) 

 Tribe I. ... CYCLOSAURA. (Gr. Ku/cAof, a circle ; aavpa.) 

 Family IV. Lacertinidas. (Lat. Lacerta, a Lizard. Lizard-kind.) 



ZOOTOCA. Gr. Zwof, living; TIKTU, to bring forth.) 



Vivipara (Lat. viviparous), the Common Lizard. 



We now arrive at the singular Class of REPTILES. The 

 animals of this class vary exceedingly in their forms, sizes, and 

 habits, but the peculiar formation of the circulatory system, 

 together with many other anatomical distinctions, plainly mark 

 them out as a distinct class. 



The LIZARDS are usually active, bright-eyed little creatures, 

 delighting to bask in the sun, near some safe retreat, to which 

 they dart with astonishing celerity upon the slightest alarm. 

 Two species of Lizards inhabit this country, the Common 

 Lizard, and the Sand Lizard. The latter animal is consider- 

 ably larger than the common Lizard, as it sometimes measures 

 a foot in length. It frequents sandy heaths, and in the sand 

 its eggs are deposited, fourteen or fifteen in number. The 

 eggs are hatched by the heat of the sun, and the young im- 

 mediately lead an independent life. During the winter this 

 as well as the Common Lizard hybernates into a burrow usually 



