History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

152 REPTILES. SAURIA. Lacekta" 3. L. anguiformis. Viperine Lizard—Head very light brown above,with four dark spots; yellowish-white beneath. Back, with a black linealong the middle, reaching from the head to about half an inch beyond thehind legs;on each side of this, a broader one of dark brown (these, beyond theblack line unite, and reach to the end of the tail) ;next to these, succeeds afine yellow stripe, that extends to the end of the tail ; then a black one, whichreaches no farther than the middle line, and afterwards a dark brown stripe,mixed with a few yellow spots extending to the end of the tail. A littleabove the hind legs,in some specimens, is a slightdivision of the scales,forming a transverse line. Belly yellowish-white, with a few black spots.Tail, under part dirty white, spotted with black as far as within an inch ofthe end; the remainder marked dengthways with long bars of black. Legsdark brown, spotted with black. Feet have all five toes, with nails.Length7 inches and upwards: I saw one specimen above a foot long, but was notable to catch it.—This lizard, which I think may, with propriety, be describedunder the name Anguiformis, I have once or twice found near marshes,but its general abode is upon heaths ;this circumstance, together with itsviperine appearance and colours, which have more than once deceived me inhastily passing it, induce me to suspect that it must be the L. anguiformis ofRay."Ray takes notice of the L. viridis, or Green Lizard (Quad. 264.), as inhabitingIreland. It occurs in Guernsey and, according to Pennant, it has;been propagated in England. The upper parts of the body being rich, variegatedgreen, the belly whitish, and the length being from 18 to 30 inches,distinguish it from the L. agilis. Pennant mentions a lizard, probably " of thisspecies, which was killed near Woscot, in the parish of Swinford, Worcestershire,in 1741, which was 2 feet G inches long, and 4 inches in girth. Thefore-legs were placed 8 inches from the head ; the hind-legs5 inches beyondthese ; the legs two inches long;the feet divided into four toes, each furnishedwith a sharp claw. Another was killed at Penbury, in the same county.Whether these are not of exotic descent, and whether the breed continues,is what we are at present uninformed of."—Brit. Zool. iii. 22.In the Statistical Account of Little Dunkeld by the Rev. John Robertson,vol. vi. p. 361. is the followingnote. " A quadruped found in the moors atthe eastern extremity of the parish, is entitled to notice as a remarkable varietyof the Lizard tribe. It is about 9 inches long, the body, or trunk, is ofan unusual length in proportion to the tail, which does not taper graduallyfrom the hind-feet, as in other lizards, but becomes suddenly small, like thatof a mouse. The back is full of small protuberances, and guarded with a skinalmost as hard as a sea-shell. The eyes large, clear, and circular, like thoseof an ordinary trout the ; jaws more than an inch in length, and the teeth sostrong as to be heard making a ringing noise upon the iron point of a pole atthe distance of more than ten feet. It is believed in that part of the country,that, about 50 years ago, the bite of this animal proved fatal to a childtwo years old. It is never seen but upon very dry ground. When irritatedit expresses its rage by the reddening and glistening of its eyes."These notices, of imperfectly known species or varieties, may probably excitethose who enjoy favourable opportunities to communicate more extendeddescriptions of their characters and distribution.EXTINCT SAURIAN REPTILES.Crocodile.— The remains of several distinct species of animalsbelonging to this genus, occur in those strata which are placedabove the independent coal formation. Of these the followingmay be noticed.