Ad99998 04 005a/eng
Drey merkwürdige Eidechsen-Arten
Beschreibungstext eng
Amphibia XII. Vol. IV. No. 3., REMARKABLE SORTS OF LIZARDS., Fig. 1. The monitory Lizard. (Lacerta Monitor.), The monitory Lizard inhabits some parts of America, the East-Indies, and the Cape of good Hope. For those countries it is a very salutary animal, being the chief Enemy of the Crocodile, announcing the approach of this tremendous beat by a piercing whistle, and thereby warning, as it were, man and beast, whence it derives its name. Its length is from 5 to 6 feet. The ground-colour of its body is dark brown with dazzling white rings and stripes. The five cloven toes of each foot are arm'd with sharp, crooked claws. It lives on fish, birds eggs, smaller Lizards, and is towards man quite harmless. Its flesh, which is by no means illtasted, is eaten by the Hottentots., Fig. 2. The Cockatrice. (Lacerta Basilicus.), The Antients talk a great deal of a venemous, misshap'd, dangerous Animal which was hatch'd from a cocks-egg, and which they call'd a Basilisk. But such an animal never existed except in the heads of superstitious stupid people. This Cockatrice or Basilisk, (for thus it is also call'd,) with which we present our readers, must not therefore be confounded with this fabulous beast, with which it has nothing in common but the name. On the contrary it is not only an harmless, but even an useful animal, as it lives entirely on insects. Our Cockatrice lives in SouthAmerica, and is from 1 1/2 to 2 feet long. Its colour is light brown. Along its back is a kind of comb cover'd with scales, which it can raise at pleasure, and thus chrow itself from branch to branch. By means of its long toes it can climb and run along the trees with great dexterity., Fig. 3. The flying Dragon. (Lacerta volans.), This flying Lizard, a small harmless animal, which is not much larger than our common lizard, has no other resemblance with that dreadful monster, which pass'd in the fabulous âges under the name of Dragon, than the name. The flying Dragon here represented inhabits Asia, Africa, and America, and lives upon Flies, Ants, Butterflies and other Insects. Between the fore and hind feet are the skinny wings, divided into six rays, by the means of which it flies from one tree to another, even to the distance of 20 or 30 paces; these wings assist it also extremely in swimming, so that it can seek its food on the earth, in the water and in the air. Underneath its throat it has three long pointed pouches, which it can blow up, by which it is also greatly assisted in flying. The wings as well as the whole body are closely cover'd with scales.
