Royal Physical Society. 415 



Chelis digitis parallelis, elongatis angustis recto minute den- 

 ticulate-, apice adunco; maxillepedibus externis articulo secundo 

 tertium sequante." 



I have since found it in our own Firth of Forth in consider- 

 able numbers. 



Wednesday, 24.th February 1858. — William Rhind, Esq., President, in 



the Chair. 



Henry Paul, Esq., and James Boyd Davies, Esq., were elected mem- 

 bers of the Society. 



The following Donations to the Library were laid on the table, and 

 thanks voted to the donors : — 



Memorias de la Real Academia de Ciencias de Madrid, tomo IV., 3a 

 serie ; Ciencias Naturales, tomo 2o, parte 2a ; Programa de premias 

 para el ano de 1858. — From the Royal Society of Madrid. The Canadian 

 Journal of Industry, Science, and Art, conducted by the Editing Commit- 

 tee of the Canadian Institute. New Series, No. VII.-X1I. January to 

 November 1857. — From the Canadian Institute, Toronto, Upper Canada. 



The following Communications were read :— 



I. (1.) On Tiliqua Fernandesi (Matricida lugens, Murr. in litt), a Lizard 

 said to he venomous, from Old Calabar. By Andrew Murray. 



At all times lizards have been an object of suspicion to the 

 vulgar ; and even in this country, the harmless Lacerta agilis 

 and Zootoca vivipara are looked upon as venomous by many 

 of the country people, and treated accordingly. It is not to 

 be wondered at, therefore, that in countries where their size 

 is greater, their form more grotesque, or their colouring more 

 startling, similar notions should be entertained by other and 

 less educated people. That such notions, however, are errone- 

 ous in the great majority of instances, if not in every case, can- 

 not be doubted. Notwithstanding the prejudices entertained 

 against them, we know that our European species are perfectly 

 innoxious. Their anatomical structure sufficiently attests their 

 inability to injure, and the contents of their stomach the in- 

 nocence of their lives ; and the natural inference is, that the 

 prejudices felt against other species of the same class else- 

 where are equally unfounded. 



vol. i. 2 p 



