THE LIZARDS 111 



persistent in various parts of the world. Thus, in 

 Southern Europe the geckos are regarded with consider- 

 able hatred; again, in the United States, the single, 

 diminutive species found in Texas, New Mexico and 

 southern Arizona, is often called "poison lizard," while 

 many larger lizards of really forbidding aspect are 

 acknowledged to be perfectly harmless. 



Gymondactylus \, containing nearly forty species, is 

 represented in both the Eastern and Western Hemi- 

 spheres. The species are mostly small and not well 

 adapted to running up vertical surfaces unless on rough 

 tree trunks, as the digits are not dilated in the form of 

 suckers, though fully clawed. Gonatodes is similar in 

 development and has a like distribution; several of its 

 small species are common in the West Indies. G. oc- 

 cellatus — the type from Tobago — has a vivid, eye-like 

 spot on each shoulder. 



Pliyllodactylus is a genus extensively distributed 

 throughout the warmer parts of the world. The species 

 occur in tropical America, the West Indies, and in the 

 Galapagos Islands; thence in the Old World in Africa 

 and Madagascar, the islands of the Mediterranean and 

 in Australia. The digits are expanded into the shape 

 of strong suckers on the under-surface, but are not 

 round and disk-like at the tip — the entire toe of some 

 species looks flattened from above though it is the tip 

 that is adhesive. If the underside of the toe is 

 examined closely it will be seen to be furnished with a 

 pair of pads; between these the claw is retractile, like 

 that of a cat. 



The writer has kept several of the Central American 

 species, some of which grow to a length of five inches. 

 The general coloration of all is a yellowish brown with 

 obscure markings. The specimens were kept in a large 



