Amphibia XII. Vol IV. No. 3. 



THREE REMARKABLE SORTS OF LIZARDS. 



Fi 0 ". 



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1. The monitory Lizard. 

 (Lacerto, Monitor.) 



T he monitory Lizard inhabits fome parts of 

 America, the Ea(t- Indies, and the Cape of good 

 Hope. For thofe countries it is a very fakita ri- 

 animai , being the chief Enemy of the Crocodile, 

 announcing the approach of this tremendous 

 heat by a piercing .whiftle, and thereby war- 

 ning, as it were, man and bea ft, whence it 

 derives its name. Its length is from 5 to 6 feet. 

 The ground-colour of its body is dark brown 

 with dazzling white rings and ft ri pes. The five 

 cloven toes of each foot are arm'd with fharp, 

 crooked claws. It lives on fifh , birds eggs, 

 f mailer Lizards, and is towards man quite harm- 

 lets. Its Aedi, which is by no means illtafied, 

 is eaten by the Hottentots. 



Fig. 



2, The Cockatrice. 

 (Lacerta Baßliscus.) 



The Antients talk a great deal of a vene- 

 jjjous, misshap'd, dangerous Animal which was 

 liatch'd from a cocks- egg, and which they call'd 

 a Bafilisk. But fuch an animal never exifted 

 except in the heads of fuperftitious ftupid people. 

 This Cockatrice or Bafiliskj (for thus it is alfo call'd,) 

 with which we prefeat our readers , rauft not 

 therefore be confounded with this fabulous beaft, 

 with which it has nothing in common but the 



name. On the contrary it is not only an barra- 

 le fs , but even an ufeful animal, as it lives en- 

 tirely on infects. Our Cockatrice lives in South- 

 America, and is from if to 2 feet long. Its 

 colour is light brown. Along its back is a kind 

 of comb cover'd with fcaleh, which it can s aite 

 at pleafure, and thus chrow itfelf from branch 

 to branch. By means of its long toes it can climb 

 and run along the trees with great dexterity. 



Fig. 3. The flying Dragon. 



(Lacerta volans.) 



This flying Lizard, a finali harrnlefs animal, 

 which is not much larger than our common li- 

 zard, has no other refemblance with that dread- 

 ful monfter, which pafs'd in the fabulous ages 

 under the name of Dragon, than the name. 

 The flying Dragon here reprefented inhabits 

 Afia , Africa, and America, and lives upon Fliesv 

 Ants, Butterflies and other Infects. Between the 

 fore and hind feet are the fkinny wings, divi- 

 ded into fix rays, by the means of which it 

 flies from one tree to another, even to the di- 

 ftance of 20 or 30 paces; thefe wings a lb ft it 

 alfo extremely in fwi mining , fo that it can feek 

 its food on the earth, in the water and in the 

 air. Underneath its throat it has three Jong poin- 

 ted pouches , which it can blow up, by which it 

 is alfo greatly a /lifted in flying. The wings as 

 well as the whole body are clofely cover'd with 

 f cales. 



