526 



LACERTAE 



CHA1>, 



known as iutussusceptiou of the gut. They certainly could not 

 complain of tlie want of heat, since the bottom of their cage was 

 kept permanently warm liy a lam]), and in the autumn they in- 

 variably slept in the warmest part of tlif soil, avoiding the cool 

 regions which would have given them a chance of hibernating. 



Another consignment arrived in the month of Pebruary. 

 None of them ate anything or survived the early summer. 



U. acanthiniirus and U. spinijjes are common in Algeria, 



D2ap 



Fici. 128. — Uromastix acanthimirus. 



x\. 



Tunis, and Egypt, where they prefer sandy and ro;.ky localities. 

 Their Arabic name is Dah. In Algeria they are sometimes 

 called " le/ards des palmiers," pcrliaps because they eat dates, 

 besides berries, grass, and various Uowers. Very large specimens 

 attain a length of 18 inches. Like the other species of Uromastix 

 they have no voice. The African species can change colour 

 to a great extent. At a low temperature they are mostly grey 

 or brownisli lilack alxivc, dirly white below. When it is warmer 

 they change to ligliter shades of lunwii or even to orange yellow 

 and to green, with Mack or ludwn specks and vermiculations. 



