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.
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