L A C E R T A, 
and is even preferable, when fricafieed or otherwife pro¬ 
perly d relied, to that of poultry ; though it is laid to be 
hurtful to thofe whofe blood is in bad order; and M. de 
la Borde alleges that it is of difficult digellion. The fleffi 
of the'females is reckoned more delicate and fatter than 
that of the males. They are even made an article of trade 
in the Bahama iflands, being carried alive to Carolina, 
and other parts of America, where the fleffi is falted up 
for ufe. M. de la Borde informs us, that in fome iflands, 
where the guana is fcarce, it is referved for the tables of 
the rich. Hence we ought not to be furprifed at the avi¬ 
dity with which this gentle and harmlefs animal is fought 
after, which never deftroys any thing but ufelefs leaves 
and flowers, or noxious infefts; which requires only the 
lioie of a rock or fome dry branches for its habitation ; 
and which has been placed by nature as one of the greatelt 
ornaments of the forefts. Mankind is more eager to de- 
Rroy thofe animals which are objeffs of luxury, and which 
may minifter to his appetites, than to extirpate fuch as 
are hurtful. 
Concretions are fometimes found within the body of 
the guana, fimilar to thofe which are met with in the bo¬ 
dies of the tortoife, the crocodile, See. and refembling 
the jubilances called bezoars, that are found in the bodies 
of viviparous quadrupeds, particularly fuch as have been 
called occidental bezoars. M. Dombey brought one of 
thefe, from South America, to the imperial cabinet at Pa¬ 
ris. Its ffiape refembles the half of an egg, fomewhat 
hollowed at one end : it is formed of feveral poliffied 
layers, compofed of fmall needle-like cryftallizations : one 
end is convex, and the other concave ; but it mult not be 
fuppofed a portion of a bezoar which had formerly been 
larger, for its layers are regularly continued round the 
edges of the concave part, as well as on that which is con¬ 
vex : in all probability, the nucleus, around which it has 
cryftallized, was nearly of the fame form. The furface of 
the concave part is not polifhed like the relt of its body, 
probably owing to being kept away from friftion by its 
figure. The larger diameter of this bezoar is fifteen lines, 
or twelfth parts of an inch, and thefmaller diameter four¬ 
teen. In the collection of Seba, there were feveral of 
thefe bezoars from the guana, about the fize of pigeons’ 
eggs, and of a cinereous yellow colour, with darker fpots. 
They are called beguan by the Indians, who confider them 
as more valuable than mod other bezoars. 
The guana is very common in Surinam, in the woods 
of Guiana, in Cayenne, and in Mexico; but is fcarce in 
the Weft-India iflands, in confequence of being much 
fought after, on account of the excellence of its fleffi. 
It is likewife found in many parts of the Old World, both 
in Africa and Alia. Dampier fays that feveral guanas 
■were feen near Seal Bay in New Holland, which flopped 
and hilled when any one came near them, but did not at¬ 
tempt to run away. It is every where confined to the tor¬ 
rid zone, being never found in any of the cold or even 
temperate regions. Its colours vary, according to its age 
and fex, and in the feveral countries which it inhabits: 
but it is always very remarkable, and readily diitinguiffi- 
able from the other fpecies of lizards, by its habits, by 
the peculiarity of its form, and by the beautiful enamel 
which adorns its feales. See fig. 5. 
13 . The chameleon guana is mentioned as a variety, but 
no account is fubjoined by Gmelin. 
The horned lizard , according to Cepede, its firft de- 
feriber, refembles the guana in many refpefts. It is nearly 
of the fame fize, and has the fame proportions in the form 
and dimenfions of its body, legs, and tail. The head is 
flattened and fomewhat hollowed at the top, and has fi- 
milar large pointed projecting tubercles at the fides ; but 
in one fpecimen thefe large tubercles were wanting. The 
teeth are divided into feveral fmall points, at their edges, 
fimilar to thofe of large individuals of the guana fpecies. 
This lizard varies from the guana in wanting the large 
crefted pouch under the throat; but the diltinguiffiing 
starafteriflic is formed by a kind of conical horn, covered 
43 
by a Angle large fcale, placed almoft between the eyes, and 
having before it, between it and the muzzle, four large 
projecting tubercles. This lizard, which was communi¬ 
cated to the Paris cabinet by Bonnaterre, is found in great 
numbers in St. Domingo. 
21. Lacerta calotes, the Afiatic guana: tail long anci' 
rounded ; a ferrated crefl from the hind part of the neck 
along the back, confiding of pointed feales or fpines 
Handing apart ; fimilar feales or fpines round the lower 
and back part of the head ; thefe ereft feales are not on 
the tail, nor on the throat, as in the common guana. The 
head is flat, and very broad at its back part, like that of 
the chameleon. Allowing for thefe differences, this fpe¬ 
cies is (Till confiderably allied to the common guana in 
general appearance; but is of much fmaller fize, rarely 
exceeding the length of a foot and half from the tip of 
the nofe to the extremity of the tail. It is alfo deflitute 
of the very large gular pouch, fo confpicuous in that ani¬ 
mal ; inftead of which it has merely a flight inflation or 
enlargement on that part. In colour it occafionally va¬ 
ries, like moll of this tribe; but is commonly of an ele¬ 
gant bright blue, variegated by feveral broad and fome- 
what-irregular white or whitilh tranfverfe bands on each 
fide of the body and tail. The feales are larger in pro¬ 
portion than thofe of the common guana, lharp-pointed, 
and marked by a pretty ftrong carina: the limbs are rather 
flender than flout, and the toes more remarkably fo : the 
tail exceeds the body very confiderably in length, and 
terminates acutely. This fpecies has been well repre- 
fented in the work of Seba, who has figured feveral vari¬ 
eties, differing in fize and colour. It is a native of the 
warmer regions both of Afia and Africa, and is found' 
in many of the Indian iflands, and particularly in Ceylon, 
in which it is common. According to Cepede, it is alfo 
found in Spain ; and is faid by that author to wander 
about the tops of houfes in quell of fpiders; and he ob- 
ferves, that at is even reported to prey on rats, and to 
fight with fmall ferpents in the manner of the common 
green lizard and fome others. 
There are three varieties; of which the firfl, / 3 , may 
perhaps be Seba’s “Brown lizard with black fpots from 
Galicia, a p/ovince of Spain.” This lizard, of a brown 
colour with numerous black fpots, came from Corunna; 
it has a kind of comb, or faw, on the back. The head is 
beautifully covered with fquamas, which bending back¬ 
wards form fmall angular excrefcences. On each fide of 
the neck are three excrefcences refembling thorns. The 
ears are fringed. In the middle of the forehead is a large 
fcale like a white rofe. Above the eyes, which are large 
and furrounded by a belt or circle formed of feales, are 
two elevated tubercles: large bright fquamas cover the 
nofe alfo. The jaws difplay numerous (harp teeth, and a 
fmall fwelling like the guana. The belly is of a pale cine¬ 
reous grey, as is the tail, which is long and pointed. 
y. A fmall variety, of a livid hue above, green beneath. 
The tuberculated guana, with broad blunt fpines over 
the neck or bind-head. 
22. Lacerta fuperciliofa, the fupercilions lizard : tail 
ridged on its upper furface; back and eyebrows fringed 
with projecting feales. This lizard, in its general appear¬ 
ance, is fomewhat allied to the guana, and more efpecialiy 
to the horned guana of Cepede; having, like that animal,, 
the appearance of a pair of (harp-pointed horn-like pre¬ 
cedes above and beyond each eye, between which are alio 
fituated a certain number of aculeated feales; while from 
the back of the head to the tip of the tail runs a feries of 
lhort, or flightly-elevatedj.ferratures : the feales about the 
edges of the mouth and on the tip of the nofe are, as 
ufual in moll lizards, larger than on the refl of the ani¬ 
mal : the tongue is large and rounded: the body is co¬ 
vered with fmall fubaclaminated feales, thofe on the tail 
being fomewhat larger: the limbs are rather flender, and 
the tail of moderate length. Seba figures two fpecimens 
of this lizard; one of which has feveral rounded feales, of 
different fixes, interfpeaffed Here and there on the fides of 
3 the 
