ioH The Hifidry of ANIMALS, 
It is lefs frequent in America than the former, or ordinary rattle-fnake • but it is 
fometimes found in the very houfes of the inhabitants. 
The European remedy of oil of olives, rubbed on the wounded part over burning 
charcoal, has been tried to the bite of this Serpent in America with fuccefs particu- 
as we have inftances of 
people there, who have furvived it s bite, and even that of the other under favourable 
circumftances, without any affirtance, it is hard to fay exadtly how much mav have 
been owing to the remedy. The French were at the pains, foon after the efficacy of 
the oil was pubhlhed in England, to make a great number of experiments on animals 
bitten by vipers, fome of which were dreffed with the oil, others not • but the refuit 
did not argue much in favour of the remedy. 
Amphibious Animals . 
Series the Second. 
Thofe which have levs. 
The number of legs in thefe is invariably four , but they are very differently 
formed andfituated x fo as in the fever algenera toferve to very different 
purpofes. ?. • iX; , 1 
LAC E R T A. 
H E body of the Lacerta is oblong and rounded $ the legs are four, and the 
hinder part is terminated by a tail. 
Lacerta pedibus inermibus fiffis , manibus tetrada&ylis , plantis 
pentada&ylis, cauda ancipiti . 
The two-edged-tailed Lacerta , with four toes on the anterior , 
and five on the hinder feet . 
This grows to about four inches in length, and to the thicknefs of a man’s finger : 
the back is of a deep fhining brown 5 the belly of a bright and glofly yellow, and 
fometimes whitifh, always fpotted irregularly with brown : the head is fmall, and the 
extremity of the nofe obtufe j the tail is comprefled and flatted, and has two edges 
which ftand perpendicularly, not horizontally : in the male, the back and the tail are 
both dentated; in the female, they are fmooth: the throat in the male is variegated 
with dufky fpots; the parts of generation in both are prominent: the legs are fhort 
and lateral; the fore ones are divided into four, the hinder into five toes; and, in the 
male of this fpecies, the toes are edged with a membrane. 
It is very common with us in fifh-ponds, and other flanding waters, and is voraci- 
oufly eaten by the ducks and other water-fowl. All the writers on animals have de¬ 
ferred it under the names of Lacerta aquatica and Salamandra aquatica. 
Lacerta cauda ancipiti ! , pedibus triangidatis , palmis tetra- 
daSlylis , plantis pentadaSlylis palmatis. 
The edged-tailed Lacerta , with triangidar feet, the anterior 
with four toes , the poflerior with five . 
This is the largefl: of all the Lizard kind, to which, notwithflanding this flrange dis¬ 
proportion in fize, it evidently belongs. It grows to twenty-five feet in length, and it’s 
thicknefs is that of a man’s body : it’s colour is a dufky and a difagreeable brown j it’s 
head is large, it’s eyes are fmall, and the opening of the mouth is vafily wide : the 
back is elevated into a ridge, which is continued to the extremity of the tail, and is 
deeply dentated; the lower part of the tail has alfo it’s ridge oppofite to the other, 
which gives it a two-edged appearance : the legs are fliort and thick, and the fore feet 
have only four toes each, the hinder ones five. 
It 
