LACERTA. 
56 
derably larger fize than thofe on the upper parts of the 
body : which fcales are of a quadrangular figure, and are 
ranged in tranfverfe bands or fillets ; and this circumftance 
forms a peculiar character in the fubdivifion of the genus 
in which this fpecies is placed. 
This fpecies is ufually five or fix inches long, by about 
half an inch broad. The tail is nearly twice the length 
of the body, and tapers from its root to the extremity, 
where it ends in a point. It is blotched or fpotted with 
white and a moderately-deep black, being furrounded by 
numerous diftinft rings of fcales, often as far as eighty 
circles, that lap over each other downwards. When this 
tail has been broken off by any accident, it is fometimes 
reproduced: and even when it has been fplit, or divided 
lengthways, it is occafionally replaced by two or even 
three tails ; of which one only contains vertebrae, and the 
reft have only a kind of tendon in the centre. That this 
fpecies has l'ometimes two tails is an obfervation which 
has been made by Pliny and feveral other writers long 
ago; but, as it is very common to fee this animal tor¬ 
mented in a variety of manners by children, it is extreme¬ 
ly probable, that, having fplit the tail lengthways, each 
of the portions rounded itfelf in healing, and thus each 
became an apparently-complete tail. Numerous exam¬ 
ples of this fa£t are continually occurring; for they are 
extremely liable to fuch a lofs, even when fporting toge¬ 
ther; becaufe the fmall vertebras, or joints, of which their 
tails are compofed, are exceilively brittle, and eafily fepa- 
rate from each other by the flighteft degree of violence. 
Hence it is very common to find lizards having tails of 
various lengths, while naturally their tails have always a 
certain fixed proportion. According to M. Marchand, 
the new or re-produced tail is only fupported by a kind of 
central tendon, infteadof the cartilaginous vertebrae which 
naturally belong to this member. The fame naturalift 
fays, that he had endeavoured to try this fad experiment¬ 
ally, but that it had never fucceeded in any of his trials, 
and that he could not dilcover the caufe of his failure. 
Nothing remained to him but the fatisfaflion of having 
fruitlefsly tormented a few of the molt harmlefs animals 
in nature. Snuft', or the powder of tobacco, is an almoft- 
certain poifon for this fpecies. When that fubftance is 
put into its mouth, it falls altnoft inftantly into convul- 
fions, and generally dies very foon after. As ufeful as it 
is agreeable in its appearance, this fpecies would become 
infinitely more falutary to mankind, if it were more nu¬ 
merous. It feeds on flies, crickets, grafshoppers, earth¬ 
worms, and almoft all thofe infeCts and worms that de- 
ftroy our fruit and grain. Hence, the more it multi¬ 
plies, the more the enemies of our fields and gardens mull 
be diminiflied. Were this the cafe, we fhould then have 
fome realon to look on it, as is done by certain lavage na¬ 
tions, as a fortunate omen, and the harbinger of prof- 
perous events. To feize the infers on which it feeds, it 
darts out, with aftonifhing velofity, a large forked tongue, 
of a reddifh colour, which is befet with afperities, that are 
fcarcely fenfible to the fight, but which allift greatly in 
catching its winged prey. Like moll other oviparous 
quadrupeds, it is capable of exilting a long time without 
food. Seba kept one for fix months in a bottle, without 
the fmalleft nourilhmenr, and at the fame time without 
voiding any excrement, for not a fpot or ftain appeared 
on the glafs which inclofed it. 
In the fouthern countries of Europe, the nimble lizard 
revives very early in fpring from the torpid ftate in which 
it had palled the cold weather of winter; and, recovering 
its activity, begins its fportive evolutions, which increale 
in agility in proportion to the heat of the atmofphere. 
About the end of April, the two fexes unite in fuch clofe 
embraces, that it is difficult to diftinguilh them from each 
other ; and, if love is to be appreciated by the vivacity of 
its expreffion, this fpecies mull be considered as one of 
the molt ardent of the oviparous race. The eggs, which 
are almoft round, and feldoin above five lines in diameter, 
are carefully placed by the female in very warm Situations, 
inch, for inftance, as the foot of a wall fronting the South; 
and, being laid in the warm feafon, are hatched entirely 
by the heat of the fun and atmofphere. Before the com¬ 
mencement of the Sexual intercourfe, this fpecies, like al¬ 
moft all other lizards, changes its (kin ; and then, in its 
new drefs, joins in fatisfying the reproductive appetite. 
It changes its Ikin a Second time, about the beginning of 
winter, and paflgs that feafon in a ftate of torpor, more or 
lefs complete, according to the rigour of the feafon, either 
in holes of trees or of walls, or in fubterraneous places; 
and again quits thefe melancholy retreats at the firlt ap¬ 
pearance of the genial warmth of fpring. 
Varieties. ( 3 . With the loweft fcales of the collar loofe, 
and the lcuta of the middle feries round. 
y. The Green Lizard. This is made a diftinCt fpecies by 
Cepede; and Shaw’s defcription of the L. agilis belongs 
to this variety. It refembles the nimble lizard in every 
thing, except in being confiderably larger, and in having 
much more lively colours. The colouring of this fpecies 
is feen in its greatelt brilliancy about the beginning of 
fpring; when, after having thrown off its old covering, 
it expofes its new (kin, with all its bright enamelled fcales, 
to the genial warmth of the fun’s rays, which, playing on 
the fcales, gild them with undulating reflet!ions. The 
upper parts of the body are of a beautiful green, more or 
lefs variegated with yellow, grey, brown, and even fome¬ 
times with red ; the under parts being always more of a 
whitiffi colour. The colours of this fpecies are fubjetl to 
variety, becoming pale at certain feafons of the year, and 
more particularly after the death of the animal; and it is 
chiefly in the warm countries that it fhines in all its fu- 
perb ornaments, like gold and precious (tones. In thefe 
regions it grows to a larger fize than in more temperate 
countries, being fometimes found thirty inches in length. 
The fpecimen from which the prefent defcription was 
formed, was fent from Provence to the royal cabinet at 
Paris, and meafures twenty inches, including the tail, 
which almoft equals the length of the head and body. 
The diameter of its body is two inches at thp thickeft part. 
The upper part of the head, as in the nimble lizard, is 
covered by large fcales, regularly arranged at each others’ 
fides. The edges of the jaws are adorned by a double 
row of large fcales. The openings of the ears are 
oval, the long diameter being four lines; and the tympa¬ 
num is diftinCfly perceived. The kind of half-collar un¬ 
der the throat refembles that of the nimble lizard, being 
formed of large fcales, which were eleven in number in 
our fpecimen. The fcales on the back are the fmalleft, 
being of an hexagonal figure; but the angles are fo little 
diftinCt as to make them feem round. The fcales on the 
belly are large, and in form of lengthened hexagons, form¬ 
ing thirty half-rings, or tranfverfe bands. A row of thir¬ 
teen tubercles extends along the infide of each thigh : thefe 
are hollow ; and a fmall perforated nipple appears diltinclly 
on the middle of each, riling a little above the edge of 
the little cavity of the tubercle from which it projects. 
The tranfverfe furrow at the extremity of the under part 
of the body, which forms the anus, reaches almoft com¬ 
pletely acrofs. The tail, which begins immediately be¬ 
low this furrow, diminifhes gradually in fize from its ori¬ 
gin to its extremity, where it ends in a point. It is co¬ 
vered by fcales, which are longer than they are broad, and 
which are larger than thofe on the back, being arranged 
in circular rings, ufually to the number of ninety. Of 
the reproductive power of this animal, Seba fpeaks in the 
following ftrange manner: If you cut off a fmall piece of 
the tail, and place the piece cut off at the dijiance of one or 
two feet from the remaining part, they will both meet again, 
and are attracted by fo ftrong a fuClion, that the parts are 
united as if they had not been feparated. The letter D 
in his 5th plate is defcriptive of the fail, which Seba him- 
felf proved. He acknowledges, however, that if a part of 
the tail is pulled off, the fleffi appears mangled, flabby, and 
jagged, nor can it again unite or grow together from the 
injury it has fuftained. The green lizards will play with 
children, in the fame manner with the nimble fpecies ; 
but, when in confinement, they may be excited to fight. 
