HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



225 



and very sulky he remaiued until the skin came off, 

 for this it was that teased him, or at any rate helped 

 to make him worse— he was casting his coat. This 

 process is a very remarkable one ; the old skin first 

 splits across the back of the neck and sides, the 

 whole of the back piece comes off intact, as also 

 does the piece on the belly, that from the legs and 

 tail is shed by degrees, bit by bit, and during the 

 operation, which takes about twenty hours or so, as 

 near as I have been able to judge, the reptile looks 

 very dull and miserable, or " seedy " as some folks 

 •would term it. In the present instance, the back 

 piece was so loose after a few hours that I pulled 

 it gently off ; by so doing, I believe, causing him no 

 pain, and certainly hastening a process which, 

 necessary though it be, appears to occasion cou- 

 siderable inconvenience for the time being. The 

 skin from the belly came off soon afterwards, and 

 the animal recovered its spirits and lively manners. 



Fig. 156. Head of Common Lizard {Zootoca vivipara). 



If the creature struck me with surprise at first, its 

 appearance now was startling, for the old skin is 

 comparatively dull for some days before casting; 

 he seemed, especially on the belly and throat, as if 

 bedecked with jewels. The back is an olive-green 

 •with dark bands down the middle and sides ; the 

 throat no colour at all, or rather, all colours at once, 

 for a kind of sheen appears to play upon it like that 

 of the dove ; the belly is a brilliant orange with 

 black spots, while the claws and tail generally are 

 olive. The new skin is completely formed before 

 the old one comes off. The latter, when shed, looks 

 like "tissue-paper, with a lace pattern stamped on 

 it," as some writer describes it. That from the 

 tail comes off gradually ring by ring,— for the scales 

 on the tail are arranged in an annular manner; but 

 I think the last inch or inch and a half remains as 

 before, and does not renew the skin. As regards 

 the tail-casting, I know that the tail does come off, 

 because I have seen specimens of this lizard with 

 the new tail just apparent ; but whether the action 

 is purely voluntary or not I cannot say. Perhaps 

 they change this appendage every year as a matter 

 of course : observations would be very useful in 

 clearing up this matter. 



Before passing on to the question of food, it may 

 be interesting to note the dates of each skin-casting 

 above mentioned. The first took place on 17th May, 

 and the second on the 22nd July ; about nine weeks 

 intervening. A writer in Science-Gossip for April, 

 18G6, says of this lizard : — " The skin is changed 

 about once in three weeks." I cannot explain the 

 ditficulty, but am convinced as to the correctness of 

 my statement. My pet had now been two whole 

 days without food or drink either, so far as I knew. 

 On the third morning a bluebottle fly was held care- 

 lessly before his nose, and apparently without any 

 signs of success. Suddenly, however, he stopped 

 blinking his eyes, raised his head, arching the neck 

 at the same time, took a knowing look, as much as 

 to say " which is the most convenient method of 

 grabbing him," and sprang upon the fly like a tiger. 

 No doubt most of the readers of this paper have 

 seen a terrier shake a rat, and from that a fair idea 

 of the next part of the programme may be drawn. 

 After a few gulps— not particularly pleasing to the 

 eyes of " squeamish " people— the victim disap- 

 peared, and it was most ludicrous to see the manner 

 in which our hero licked his jaws, looking round 

 with an expression which said plainly enough, 

 " excellent ! any more ? " After such a success, 

 more was brought, and as eagerly and efficiently 

 disposed of, in each case the programme being 

 repeated. In spite of the romantic appearance 

 which may strike some people, the foregoing de- 

 scription is not exaggerated in the least, and if only 

 for the fun of feeding these creatures, they are really 

 well worth keeping as pets. The peculiar flash of 

 intelligence and eagerness, the arching of the neck, 

 head drawn back, eyes fixed on the prey, the spring 

 or strike with which he seizes it, and the rapid shake 

 as if to stun the victim, are all repeated whenever 

 the insect is larger than can be swallowed with a 

 gulp. And then the science displayed in seizing 

 the insect at the right instant and in the most con. 

 venient spot; the licking of the jaws, evidently 

 showing approval and a desire for more ; these 

 things are well worthy of attention. Glowing 

 accounts of the terrible python tell us how he makes 

 his fearful meal ; but it is a fair question whether 

 the scene is really more awe-inspiring or disgusting 

 (according to the opinion of the witness) where a 

 rabbit is swallowed by a python than where a spider 

 falls into the hands (or jaws) of our quiet-looking 

 little zootoca. It is only the grand scale upon which 

 the former does his work that makes us shudder at 

 the one and smile at the other. To return— in a 

 few minutes my pet had dem.olished three house-flies 

 and a large spider, and such are now his regular 

 diet. Of all the insects offered him, a spider appears 

 to be the most acceptable : next to that a " frog- 

 hopper," as the children term the little green insect 

 found imbedded in a frothy mass upon various 

 plants {Jphrophora spumaria). 



