THE 



BROAD-TAILED LIZARD. 



Generic Character. 

 Body four-footed, tailed, naked. 



Specific Character. 



LIZARD with a deprefled lanceolate tail, al- 

 moft fpiny on the margin ; the body of a 

 dulky grey color, and rough. 



The claws appear as if double ; the tongue is Jhort 

 and broad, not forked, but Jlightly emarginatei 

 at the tip. 



The Lacerta Platura or broad-tailed Lizard, a fpe- 

 cies very lately difcovered, and which is a native of 

 New Holland, is ftrikingly diftinguifhed by the un- 

 common form of its tail, which is of a deprefTed or 

 flattened Ihape, with very thin edges, and gradually 

 tapers to a (harp extremity. This depreiTed form of the 

 tail is extremely rare in lizards, there being fcarcely 

 more than two or three other fpecies in which a flmi- 

 lar ftructure takes place. This lizard is fomewhat 

 more than four inches and a half in length ; the head 

 is large in proportion ; and the whole upper furface of 

 the animal is befet with fmall tubercles, which in fome 

 parts, efpecially towards the back of the head, and 

 about the tail, are lengthened into Iharpened points. 

 The lower furface is of a pale color, or nearly white. 



