LAC 
and then bite each other with greftt fury. Being ftronger 
than the nimble lizard, this fpecies fometimes fights with 
Ierpents ; but is very rarely fuccefsful, generally falling a 
vidtim to the unequal combat. It feeds on earthworms 
and infefts, and fwallows fpittlewith great avidity. Gef- 
ner relates, that he has feen a green lizard drink the urine 
of a child. It likewife eats the eggs of fmall birds; for 
which purpofe it climbs the higheft branches of trees with 
great agility. Though lower on its legs in proportion 
than the nimble lizard, it runs very fwiftly ; and its firft 
motions, when it fprings from among bulhes or dry-leaves, 
are often fo rapid as to excite fenfations of furprife, or 
even of fear. It leaps very high, and with great force. 
JBeing ftronger, it is likewife braver, than the nimble li¬ 
zard ; and even defends itfelf, when attacked, again ft dogs. 
Being accuftomed to fix upon the noftrils of Ierpents, with 
different kinds of which it is often forced to engage, it 
flies inftantly at the muzzle of dogs, and fixes itfelf fo ob- 
ftinately, that it allows itfelf to be carried off, and even 
killed, rather than quit its hold. It is not, however, to 
be confidered as dangerous, at leaft in the temperate re¬ 
gions, though fome people have falfely attributed to it the 
property of giving mortal, or at leaft dangerous, bites. 
The inhabitants of Africa eat the flefh of this animal. 
The green lizard is by no means confined to the warmeft 
countries of both continents} it is found likewife in the 
temperate regions, though it is there fmaller and lefs nu¬ 
merous. It is not unknown in Sweden, nor even in 
Kamtfchatka; and in both countries, in fpite of its beau¬ 
tiful appearance, it is looked on by the inhabitants with 
horror, from fome ftrange fuperftitious prejudice. 
A fort of green lizard is found in the neighbourhood of 
Paris, which is diftinguifhed by a particular ftripe from the 
fummit of the head to the tip of the tail, extending to a 
little above the infertion of the legs, efpecially the hinder 
ones. This ftripe is of a brownifh-grey colour, fpotted with 
deep brown, dotted all over with yellow, and edged on 
each fide by a narrow whitilh line. 
We may take notice in this place of an American li¬ 
zard, mentioned by Catelby, which has fome relemblance 
to the green fpecies : it is called, by that writer, the Ca¬ 
rolina green lizard 5 but Rochefort, and Ray after his ex¬ 
ample, give it: the name of gobemoucke, or fly-catcher. This 
beautiful fpecies or variety fcarcely exceeds five inches 
long; and fome individuals, efpecially the females, are only 
about the length and fize of a finger. Though fo much 
inferior to the green lizard in fize, it equals that animal 
in beauty. Mod of thefe lizards are of a very bright 
green colour: fome appear as if adorned with gold and 
filver; and others are of a golden green, or are ornamented 
with various brilliant and agreeable colours. Thefe ani¬ 
mals are extremely ufeful in houfes, by deftroying flies 
and other troublefome or noxious infers. It is hardly 
credible with what induftry, agility, and dexterity, they 
follow and feize their prey. They will fometimes remain 
motionlefs for half a day, waiting for the infebts on which 
they feed ; and, when one appears, they fpring at it with 
the fwiftnefs of an arrow, even from the tops of high 
trees, on which they climb with great agility. Their eggs 
are about the fize of peafe, which the female covers flight- 
ly with earth, and leaves to be hatched by the heat of the 
fun. They are fo familiar as to enter the rooms of the 
hcul’es without fear, and will mount on the tables, while 
people are employed at their meals, in fearch of infefts, 
and leap after them even on people’s clothes ; yet are 
they fo cleanly and fo pretty, that they produce not the 
fmalleft difguft. Indeed this little animal has every qua¬ 
lity that can delight the eye, or intereft the beholder in 
its favour: it is beautiful, aftive, ufeful, patient, and in- 
duftrious ; it is however extremely delicate,and never ap¬ 
pears except during fummer, at leaft in latitudes diftant 
from the tropic. In thefe countries it remains all winter 
in holes of rocks or of trees. Sometimes a hot day in 
winter awakens it from the ftate of torpor, fo much as to 
make it venture out of its retreat} but as, on thefe occa- 
Vox,. XII. No. 810. 
E R T A. 57 
fions, the cold returns fuddenly, it ts often unable to re¬ 
gain its hole, and dies with cold. Though very nimble, 
it finds great difficulty in evading the purfuit of cats and 
birds of prey. Its fkin is fo delicate as hardly to conceal 
the internal changes to which it is fubjeft ; for it changes 
colour, like the chameiion, according to its ftate of health 
or afrivity, or, more properly fpeaking, according to the 
temperature of the air. In a hot day it is of a bright 
green colour; and, if the next day be cold, its colour is 
then of a brown hue. The frefhnefs of its colour dif- 
appears after death, when its fkin becomes pale and livid. 
The Silky Lizard 5 of a brown colour, with a very 
thin fkin. 
e. The Argus Lizard, with numerous ocellate fpots on 
the body. 
The Earthy Lizard ; of a browniill earthy colour, 
with a row of indiftincl fpots on each fide. 
vi. The Red Lizard. The back tawny red, Tides brown. 
9 . The Blui/k Lizard. O11 each fide a triple row of 
ocellate fpots on a bluirti ground. 
». The Variegated Lizard. Green fpeckled with brown ; 
collar tawny. 
k. The Blue Lizard , fpotted with white, from theifland of 
Java. The whole furface of the body is of a bluifh caft, with 
bright white fpots on each fide the venter, the haunches, 
and tail. The head is marked with three bright lines, 
reaching from the mouth and eyes to the ears, which are 
deep in the head. As to the reft, lmall deep blue fquatnse 
ornament alike the head, which is oblong and pointed, 
and the back. The colour on the belly, tail, and feet, is 
paler. The ventral fquamae are fomewhat larger, of an 
oblong fquare, and of an obfcure cinereous grey. The 
Indians fay that they are very fond of, and feed upon, 
mice. 
A. The Murine Lizard. This is alfo blue; the fides 
fpeckled with white. 
fje. The Little Brown Lizard is added by Dr. Shaw as a 
variety, being found in many parts of Europe, where the 
larger or green kind is not to be difcovered. It is gene¬ 
rally of the length of about fix or eight inches, and is of 
pale greyilh or greenifli brown colour, with a pair of dufky 
or deep-brown dorlal or lateral ftripes, fpeckled with fmall 
whitifti fpots, and accompanied by a few yellowifli varie¬ 
gations ; the under parts are of a very pale bluilh or 
whitilh green, and fometimes yellowifli. This variety is 
found in our own country, and is occafionally feen balk¬ 
ing, during the hotter part of the fummer, about the roots 
of trees, old walls, See. See. in purfuit of infers, and ge¬ 
nerally efcaping with great readinefs, if purfued. 
51. Lacerta leps, the eft: tail verticillate, longilh, feales 
on the body fquare, and a future or ftripe along each fide 5 
legs Ihort, diftant. 
The eft forms a fliade or link of connexion between 
the lizard tribe and that of the ferpents. Its ambiguous 
form and chara£ter ferve as very diftinCt marks for diftin- 
guilhing it from other fpecies of this genus. The eyes 
are very fmall; and the openings of the ears are much lefs 
obvious than in raoft lizards. The tail is commonly Ihort, 
but is fometimes longer than the body, ending in a very 
lharp point. The whole body is covered by quadrangu¬ 
lar feales, generally in eight rows, which form a number 
of ftreaks, both longitudinal and tranfverfe. The colour 
is generally paler on the belly than the back; and along 
the upper part of each fide a pale ftripe extends from be¬ 
hind the head almoft to the end of the tail, bordered above 
and below by a very narrow ftripe of black. The ftze of this 
fpecies, like that of other lizards, varies according to cli¬ 
mate, food, and tranquillity. In Provence, and the other 
fouthern provinces of France, it feldom exceeds five or fix 
inches in length ; but, in other countries more congenial 
to its nature, it fometimes grows to twelve or even fifteen 
inches. The legs are lb extremely fhort as only to mea- 
fure two lines, or the fixth part of an inch, when the body 
is twelve inches in length. They feem hardly capable.of 
reaching the ground, and yet the animal ul'es them very 
Q readily 
