44 
L A C E R T A. 
the body; and which are not vifible on the other. This 
is an Afiatic fpecies, and is alfo found in the Indian 
iflands. The colour of one of Seba’s fpecimens, both 
of which, he informs us, came from Amboyna, was pale 
yellow, tinged with bluilh variegations: the other with 
brown and whitiflt ones. It meafures from twelve to 
about fixteen inches from the nofe to the tip of the tail. 
23. Lacerta fcutata, the fcutated lizard : tail fomewhat 
cotnpreffed, and of a middling length; ridge of the back 
lerrated, and two (harp-pointed fcales on the hind-head. 
Allied in (hape, (ize, and general appearance, to the for¬ 
mer, but has a fomewhat-larger head in proportion. It is 
principally diltinguiflied by a row of fcales more elevated 
than the reft, which pafs over each eye ; a fort of ridge 
or prominent edge being continued from thofe parts, as 
in the chameleon, towards the back of the head, where 
they unite, and are continued in form of a fhort denticu¬ 
lated creft down the middle of the back to the tail, which 
is much longer than the body. The body is covered with 
moderately-finall acuminated fcales ; the limbs and tail 
with fomewhat larger ones. The colour of this lizard is 
brown ; more or lefs deep in different individuals, and 
clouded or mottled with a few variegations of a dill deeper 
calf. Inhabits Ceylon and Amboyna. 
Seba mentions a variety, the- head of which is much 
(hotter than the preceding, the neck thick and round, and 
the ears fmall: it refembles the falamander in its head and 
fhort and thick tongue. This is alfo from Amboyna. Its 
(bales are thin and fmall, reddifii (haded with white. 
24. Lacerta Amboinenfis, the Amboyna lizard : tail 
long, laterally comprefl'ed ; with a radiated ridge on its 
upper lurface ; the dorfal future dentated. This fpecies 
appears to have been fit'll defaulted by Valentyn, in his 
account of the Eaft Indies, and particularly of the ifland 
of Amboyna, where it is principally found ; but a much 
more accurate defcription, accompanied by an exquifite 
figure, was publiflied in the year 1768 by Dr. Albert Schlof- 
fer. It feents in l'ome degree to form a connecting link 
between the guana and the bafilifk. It grows to the length 
of three feet, and is at once remarkable for the Angularity 
of its appearance and the beauty of its colours. The 
head is rather large than fmall, fomewhat tuberculated 
above, and covered with fmall roundilh fcales : the upper 
jaw obtufe and fomewhat inclining to a fquare termina¬ 
tion ; the lower is rounded : the fcales furrounding the 
lips are larger than on other parts of the head : the eyes 
are moderately large ; the foramina of the ears confpicu- 
ous; the mouth wide; the teeth (harp and numerous; 
the tongue large, flefliy, and (lightly emarginated at the 
tip: the (kin about the neck, throat, and bread, is loofe 
or wrinkled. The body is covered with very fmall ob¬ 
long or fomewhat-fquare fcales, interfperfed with much 
larger rounded or oval ones, fcattered here and there over 
the (ides and about the (houlders and thighs. The tail is 
very long, of a rounded form, and furnilhed above with 
a very broad rifing crell or upright procefs, icolloped, or 
finuatedon the edge by (light fubdivifions, and internally 
ftrengthened by feveral bony radii refembling thofe in the 
fins of fillies: the fcales on this part of the tail are larger 
than on the other parts: from the back of the head to 
the extremity of the tail runs a continued feries of den¬ 
ticulated ferratures, gradually diminilhing in fize as they 
approach the tip of the tail: the legs are moderately long, 
(tout, and fcaled in a fimilar manner with the body: the 
feet are large and llrong, and are each furniflied with five 
toes, edged on their (ides with a denticulated or pecti¬ 
nated (kin, and terminated by ltrong curved claws. The 
head and neck of this animal are green, variegated by 
tranfverle whitiflt undulations : the back and tail brown, 
with a flight bluifli or purplifli caft; the Tides and abdo¬ 
men pale-brown or greyifli, fpotted by the round white 
fcales before mentioned. 
This lizard, according to Valentyn, refides in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of rivers and other freflt waters. It is frequently 
-ebferved on the banks of rifing grounds, as well as on the 
lower kind of (hrubs which grow near the water; but does 
not afcend the taller trees. When dilturbed by the ap¬ 
proach of men, dogs, &c. it plunges into the water, and 
liides itfelf beneath the rocks or Hones under the banks, 
whence, however, it may be eafily taken; and, when 
caught, does not attempt to bite, or defend itfelf, but 
feems, as it were, ftupefied: it may alfo be caught by a 
noofe or fnare. It lays its eggs in the fand ; efpecially 
near the fmall iflets of the rivers it frequents: thefe eggs, 
while in the belly of the animal, are of a yellow colour, 
and are difpofed into two long groupes or chillers; but 
when laid are white, and of an oblong ftiape. The nude 
and female differ confiderably in fize and diftribution of 
colours; the female being of a more obfcure tinge than, 
the male, and having but little appearance of the crell or 
procefs on the tail. This animal is more elleemed as 
food than even the common guana; and its fiefli is faid to 
be very white, fweet, and of a penetrating odour. Va¬ 
lentyn, who had attended to the anatomy of the animal, 
informs us, that it has a fmall triangular heart; an oblong 
liver, with a round gall-bladder; fmall reddifh lungs, 
(lightly tinged with lead-colour; a'narrow whitifli fto- 
mach, coated, or, as it were, enveloped in fat, and large 
inteltines, in which were difcovered the berries and feeds 
of certain aquatic (hrubs, together with fome fmall femi- 
tranfparent pebbles, and a kind of worms not unlike 
millepedes. Of this curious lizard a very fine fpecimen 
occurs in the mufeum of the late Mr. John Hunter. 
| 3 . The Javan lizard is of a larger fize, as much as three 
feet eight inches in length ; with the tip of the tail fquare 
in the male, round in the female ; and the gular pouch 
much compreffed. The tail alfo is longer, being nearly 
three times the length of the body. 
25. Lacerta agama, the agama : tail long and round ; 
hind-head and neck crelted with prickly fcales, of which 
thofe on the hind-head are reverfed. This fpecies is in 
fome refpeCts allied to the calotes, but differs in wanting 
the very confpicuous dorfal ferratures, inftead of which it 
has only a fmall denticulated carina on that part. The 
head is larger in proportion, and is covered on the back 
part with elongated or fliarp-pointed fcales, fome of which 
are more or lefs reverfed at their extremities : the body is 
coated with fmall fcales, with feveral larger ones of a 
rounded form fcattered here and there on the fides : the 
tail is long, and verticillated with (lages of fliarp-pointed 
fcales. The whole animal is of a lefs (lender and elegant 
afpedt than the calotes, and is commonly of a brown or 
lead-coloured call, clouded here and there with deeper and 
lighter variegations. It is a native of South America and 
foine of the Weft-India iflands, and fometimes grows to 
a very confiderable fize. The male is faid to differ from 
the female in having the dorfal crell compofed of longer 
fpines, extending almofl to the lower part of the back, 
whereas in the female they fcarcely reach farther than 
the fhoulders. 
/ 3 . Head like the chameleon, with uniform fcales as far 
as the neck, but a loofe and full (kin hanging down in 
folds encircles the neck. On the fide of the neck, be¬ 
hind the ears, are fliarp (lar-formed prickles ; and on the 
top of it are pointed prickles alfo. On the upper part of 
the body it is of a cinereous yellow, and covered all over 
with prickly fcales. The venter is of a pale afli-colour: 
on the thighs and feet the fcales are larger, but (imilarly 
pointed ; the tail is not belted as in the preceding, but 
the upper part is covered with white fcales. 
L. muricata, the brown Auftralafian lizard, can hardly 
be confidered as fpecifically diftinft, though defcribed as 
fuch in White’s Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales. 
Ic meafures more than a foot in length; its general co¬ 
lour is a brownifli grey, the upper part marked with tranf- 
verfe duiky bars, moil confpicuous on the legs and tail, 
which latter is very long. The fcales on every part are 
of a (harp form, and furniflied with a prominent line ora 
the upper furface: towards the back part of the head they 
almolt run into a kind of weak fpines. The feet are fur- 
nilhed 
