62 
REPTILIA. 
“ 27th May, 1837. — Eight Irish lizards which I have examined, and 
varying in size from to 7 inches, viz. six specimens from the Counties 
of Down and Antrim, one from Dublin, and one from Cork, and also a 
Scotch specimen sent to me from Portpatrick by Captain Fayrer, It. N. 
are identical with Lacerta agilis of Mr. J enyns, as described in his Man. 
Brit. Vert. p. 293. It should however be observed that instead of the 
two middle rows of abdominal lamellae bring merely ‘ a little narrower 
than the adjoining ones,’ they are in all these specimens about one half 
the breadth only of the row on either side. In some the number of 
plates in the collar is 8, in others 9 ; and these plates vary much in rela- 
tive size, being in several specimens somewhat uniform in this respect, 
and in others the central ones being much the largest.” 
When at] Clifden, Connemara, on 24th July, 1840, I observed one of 
these lizards basking in the sun ; and I have seen them doing the same 
near Yentnor in the Isle of Wight. 
On examining several individuals of this species received from Aber- 
arder (Scotland) I made the following note, in March, 1846. 
“ I find these specimens differing in the collar plates and in the relative 
size of those in the abdominal rows. 
“ Bell’s description, (Hist. Brit. Repts. p. 36,) that the collar plates are 
nearly equal, applies to the most of my specimens, but in one specimen 
they gradually increase in size to the centre, where is one large scale double 
the size of that on either side of it, and in form like two of them joined 
together. In most of these specimens the middle and centre rows are 
narrower than the intermediate, as Bell describes ; but in the specimen 
already alluded to the largest scales are in the outer rows. At the same 
time this individual is certainly not distinct in species from the others, 
although they differ trivially from each other in the characters alluded to.” 
In Sep. 1837, Dr. Ball obtained a black variety of the common lizard, 
captured in the County of Wicklow, and which he exhibited at the meet- 
ing of the British Association held at Liverpool in that month. Unfor- 
tunately this animal escaped from the box in which he had it confined 
whilst travelling. 
Of the “ Green Lizard,” noticed by Ray as found in Ireland, I know 
nothing. All he says of the species is : 
Lacertus viridis ; the Green Lizard, a colore ita dicitur : vulgari major est. 
In Italia frequentissimi habentur. Inveniuntur etiam in Hibernia. An La- 
certus Hibernicus Mus. Tradescanti .” — Ray, Synop. Anim. Quad. p. 264. (1693.) 
Our common lizard being occasionally of a greenish hue, may possibly 
have led to the mistake, as persons have in several instances told me that 
they knew a green lizard to be a native, but this always proved to be the 
common species. Mr. Bell in his British Reptiles suggests that “ a 
green variety of Lacerta agilis , Linn., was probably alluded to : this is 
more likely than that the true L. viridis was meant ; but the L. agilis , 
Linn., has not been distinguished as an Irish species.” It has but lately 
been added to the British Fauna, and from specimens obtained in the 
South of England. 
William Bottomley, Esq., of Belfast has favoured me with the following 
note : 
“ Lizards. In the Lazzaretto in Ancona there were a number of 
lizards living in the holes in the wall. We amused ourselves with watch- 
ing them running about in the sunshine, and found that when we sang to 
them they came out of their holes, and appeared to lose their alarm.” 
