The Zoologist — April, 1869. 1625 



naturalist prior to Bell :— further, that I am aware that Jacquiu the 

 Younger made the discovery that the little creature was sometimes 

 viviparous, and that, having made this discovery, he forthwith re- 

 christened the lizard " Lacerta vivipara:" and still further, that 

 Wagler, not considering the name a sufficiently dignified and em- 

 phatic record of its performance in parturition, still further altered the 

 name to " Zootoca vivipara." I also know that the name "agilis" was 

 thenceforward dropped altogether, or assigned to some other species : 

 I am the naturalist who "rakes from the dust of old libraries" the 

 name of "Lacerta agilis," and who now hopelessly attempts to restore it 

 as originally applied, for which I anticipate the receipt of abundance 

 of the promised formic acid, which I trust to be able to swallow with 

 resignation. 



My valued friend Mr. Bell thinks that the Linnean name of" agilis" 

 should be confined to the Sand Lizard, and that the name of "vivipara," 

 proposed by a school-boy eleven years of age,* should be given to the 

 common lizard of Sweden and Britain. 1 think otherwise, and my 

 argument would run thus : — 



i. There is no doubt that the Lacerta agilis of the « Fauna Suecica' 

 was a common lizard in Sweden at the date of that invaluable work. 



ii. Linneus makes three varieties of Lacerta agilis, or perhaps more 

 rigidly speaking a type and two varieties ; these are clearly differ- 

 entiated, first by Linneus, and subsequently by Retzius and Muller. 

 The type is Lacerta agilis. Var & is Lacertus viridis, of which Lin- 

 neus says it is " very rare— I have never seen it." Var. y has a double 

 series of white spots on the back. 



ni. These three varieties appear to me absolutely identical with the 

 three species now described, 



a. Agilis = Lacerta agilis, Common Lizard, Scaly Lizard, Vivi- 

 parous Lizard, &c. 



&. Viridis = Lacerta viridis. Green Lizard, Guernsey Lizard. 



y. Lacertus dorso punclis albis duplici serie = Lacerta Stirpium, 

 Sand Lizard, Sandy Lizard. 



It is extremely probable that the Green Lizard is introduced into 

 the northern fauna by mistake, especially as Linneus expressly tells 

 us that he has never met with it. 



* Such was the age of the precocious child who first, and perhaps who alone, has 

 observed the remarkable character on which the distinctions of this species now rest. 

 SECOND SERIES — VOL. IV. X 



