Of the fongue of the Lizard. 



by Mr. Merchant in the Memoirs 

 of the Royal Academy at Paris, Anno 

 171 8. and before him by Pliny and 

 feveral others. This is what is alfo 

 fometimes feen in Portugal bat as 

 nothing is more common among 

 Boys in that Country, than to catch 

 and torture thefe Animals ah 1 ima- 

 ginable Ways their little Malice can 

 invent, I believe it may be owing 

 originally to their Tails having been 

 cut longitudinally by fome fuch 

 Means, and lb each part rounding 

 itfelf has become an entire Tail. 

 As to this Part repairing itfelf, when 

 either it, or any Portion of it has 

 been loft by any Accident, nothing 

 is more common, I have myfelf feen 

 repeated Inftances of it without Num- 

 ber. For as it is a Lofs they are 

 expofed to every Day even in their 

 own mutual Engagements among 

 themfelves, by the Eafe wherewith 

 the little bony Vertebras, of which 

 it confifts, are feparated from one 

 another, nothing is more ufual than 

 to find them of all Lengths in differ- 

 ent Subjects 3 tho 5 Mr. Marchant in- 

 forms us, that an Experiment of 

 this Nature did not fucceed with 

 I 2 him 3 



