1624 The Zoologist— April, 1869. 



It inhabits sandy localities, more particularly at Broadwater near 

 Godalming, and Weybridge in Surrey, and Poole in Dorsetshire, but 

 I am uncertain whether it occurs in Scotland or Ireland. 



I believe Mr. Jenyns was the first English author who made out in 

 a satisfactory manner that we had two nearly allied species of Lacerta 

 in Britain : I have given above a reference to his diagnosis. The 

 more familiar species is that which I shall next describe. 



The Common Lizaud [Lacerta agilis). 



Scaly Lizard. Viviparous Lizard. 



Lacerta agilis, Linneus, Faun. Suec, 289 ; Syst. Nat. i., p. 363, 

 n. 15; J^erkenhout, Synopsis, i., 56; Sheppard, in Linn. 

 Trans., vol. vii., p. 49 ; Fleming, British Animals, p. 150 ; 

 Jenyns, Brit. Vert., p. 292. 



Lacerta vivipara, Jacqnin, Nov. Act. Helv., \., p. 33 t, ; Clermont, 

 Quadrupeds and Reptiles of Europe, p. 183. 



Zootoca vivipara, Wagler, Syn. Amph., p. 155; Bell, British 

 Reptiles, 2nd Edition. 



Above is one of those instances to which B. D. Walsh, as cited in 

 the 'Entomologist's Annual' for 1869, so touchingly alludes in the 

 following passage : — 



^' To my mind, the naturalist who rakes out of the dust of old 

 libraries some long-forgotten name, and demands that it shall take 

 the place of a name of universal acceptance, ought to be indicted 

 before the High Court of Science as a public nuisance, and, on con 

 viction, sent to a scientific penitentiary and fed there for the whole 

 remaining term of his scientific life upon a diet of chinch-bugs and 

 formic acid." 



Although perfectly aware that the Editor of the Annual would not 

 level his anathema at so humble an individual as myself — perhaps he 

 is ignorant of my existence — yet none the less am I conscious of 

 deserving the rebuke, and will submit to the judgment of the "High 

 Court of Science" whenever it shall be pronounced : I plead guilty to 

 knowing that Linneus designated by the name of Lacerta " agilis" the 

 little lizard I am about to describe : I know it was the a or type of 

 his species " agilis" : I also know that both his names — "Lacerta" 

 and "agilis" — were adopted by the great continental naturalists of 

 the day, and lator by our own Fleming, Jenyns, and every British 



