Plate Number: II 68

Lacertus Griseus: The Lyon Lizard

These Lizards are usually five or six Inches long; they are all over of a gray Colour, but streaked with Lines of a lighter gray; the Legs are long. It cocks its Tail with a round twirl, and looks fierce, from which it may perhaps have taken its English Name. They are inoffensive, frequenting the Rocks on the Sea Shores of Cuba, Hispaniola, &c. They are nimble, and run with surprising Swiftness, yet are a Prey to Sea Gulls and other ravenous Birds.

Viscum Caryophylloides, foliis longis in apice incisis, floris labello alto trifido, petalis luteis, longis angustissimis

These Plants usually grow to the Height of about eighteen Inches, with one, and sometimes two upright Stalks, bearing long Leaves, notched at the Ends, alternately placed on them, the Foot or Basis of the Leaf encompassing the Stalk; on the Top of this Plant shot forth two Footstalks, on one was placed a Flower, and on the other a Seed Vessel, fully formed, The Flower consisted of five long narrow yellow Petals, placed on the Ovarium, which was long and swelling towards the upper End, of a pale green Colour: From the Center of the five Petal, grew a cylindrical succulent white Stem, from the Top of which shot forth three other white Petals, the middlemost of which was longest. At the End of the other Footstalk was formed a Seed Vessel, in Shape not unlike a Nine-pin, having four prominent Ribs extending from End to End, at equal Distances, in which were many small Seeds, divided by thin Membrane, and the withered Flower remained at the Top.