Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 8, ELE-FOR

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Jzards. turn its neck with great difficulty. Its ears are large,
-V-' open, and nearly round. Its body is a light yellow, bor¬
dering on draw colour, crofled with eight bands of black,
almoft equally diftant, except the two next the tail.
All thefe decreafe both in breadth and length, from
the middle towards each extremity of the animal. The
fcales are largeft along the back. They are very clofe,
though the divifions are fufficiently apparent. Their
furface is very poliffied, and feems as if varniffied over.
Its legs, from the fhoulder to the middle toe, are near¬
ly an inch and three quarters long. Its feet are com-
pofed of five toes, the extremity of which is armed with
a brown claw of no great ftrength, whofe end is tipped
with black.”
The fame author, fpeaking of the immenfe multi¬
tudes of lizards which are found in eaftern countries,
adds, “ I am pofitive that I can fay, without exagge¬
ration, that the number I faw one day in the great
court of the temple of the fun at Balbec, amounted to
many thoufands. The ground, the walls, and the ftones,
were covered with them *, and the various colours of
which they confided, made a very extraordinary ap¬
pearance, glittering under the fun, in which they lay
lleeping and balking.”
69. Lacerta Rufescens, Greater Scinh.
Specif. Char.—Colour yellowilh, rufous 3 feet fliort 3 tail
of moderate length.
This fpecies fometimes exceeds 15 inches in total
length. The head is covered in front with large angu¬
lar fcales 3 the legs are ffiort and thick 3 the feet penta-
daftylous, and furniffied with fmall claws.
It is a native of Arabia and Egypt, living both on
land and in water. It is frequent on the ffiores of the
Nile. It is alfo met with in fome European ifiands,
and particularly in the ifland of Cyprus.
70. Lacerta Longicauda, Long-tailed Scink.
Specif. Char.—Colour olivaceous yellow 3 tail very
long.
The great length of the tail in this animal forms the
fpecific diftinftion 3 the colour, which is greeniffi yellow,
varies in the lhade in different individuals.
It is faid to be a native of America, and frequents
the fea coalfs, where it feeds on fmall crabs and fpi-
ders.
71. Lacerta Mabouya, Mabouya Scink.
Specif Char.—Colour golden yellow 3 fides browniffi 3
jaws equal 3 tail of middling length.
I he length of this fpecies is about eight inches 3 it
greatly refembles the common fcink, but differs from it
in the length of the legs, and the jaws being equal.
It is a native of America, of Jamaica, and fome other
Weft India iflands. It is alfo found in the ifiand of.
Sardinia.
72. Lacerta Occidua, Galliwafp.
Specif Char.—Colour brownifh 3 tranfverfe bands fome-
what waved 3 legs ffiort 3 tail of middling length.
Except being larger, fomewhat thicker, and having
303
a tail proportionally fhorter, this fpecies comes very Lizards,
near the greater fcink. It is about two feet in total
length. The teeth are fmall in front 3 but as they ap¬
proach the back part of the jaws, they gradually increafe
in fize, like the molares teeth of the mammalia.
The galliwafp is a native of the American iftands. It
is very common in woody and marftiy places in Jamaica,
and has been reckoned, but without foundation, a poifo-
nous reptile.
Var. Lacerta fcincoides, auftralafian galliwafp.—
This, although it is of a darker colour, has a longer
tail, and larger fcales, is confidered only as a variety of
the former. On each fide of the neck there is com¬
monly a longitudinal brown fpot.
It is a native of New Holland,
73. Lacerta Guttata, Spotted Scink,
Specif. Char.—Colour gray, fpotted with white 3 tail
long, marked with four tranfverfe black bands, and
black tip.
This fpecies does not exceed three inches in length.
It is a native of the Ural defert.
74. Lacerta Ocellata, Ocellated Scink.
Specif. Char.—Colour greenifti gray, white beneath,
marked above with roundifh ocellated brown fpots,
which have white redtangular difks.
This fpecies is about a fpan long. The body is de-
preffed 3 the feet are ftiort and pentadadlylous. It has
no femoral wrarts.
It is a native of Egypt, and frequents houfes.
Se£t. VIII. Salamanders, Newts or Efts.
The fpecies included under this feftion have foft
fkins, and fome of them are water lizards.
75. Lacerta Salamandra, Salamander.
Specif. Char.—Colour black, fpotted with golden yel¬
low 3 tail round, and of moderate length.
The colours of the falamander afford fufficient marks
of diftinftion. It is of a deep ftiining black, variegated
with large oblong and irregular fpots of bright orange
yellowr. The fides are marked with many large tranf¬
verfe wrinkles. The parotid glands form protuberances
on each fide of the head. On the back and fides of the
body there are feveral large open pores, from which is
exfuded a peculiar fluid, which ferves ta lubricate the
Ikin. This fluid is of an acrid nature 3 and when the
animal is irritated, is copioufly fecreted, and even it is*
fuppofed, ejected to fome diftance for its defence. It is
in general from feven to eight inches in length. Some¬
times it is feen entirely black.
The falamander is a native of many parts of Germany,
Italy, France, and other parts of Europe, delighting in
moift ffiady places, woods, &c. During the winter it
conceals itfelf in receffes under ground, in the cavities
of old w alls, or about the roots of old trees.
This fpecies lives chiefly on infers, fmall fnails, &c.
It is capable of living in waters as w’ell as on land, and
fometimes reforts to ftagnant pools. It fs flow in its
motions, and torpid in its manners.
erpetology.
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