32 BRITISH LIZARDS 



it could he make out the animal. I mention this 

 because there is no doubt that it is the reason why 

 these lizards are so seldom seen by some people who 

 are not in the habit of observing them. Their pro- 

 tective colouring and habitual immobility render them 

 difficult to find. 



Once grasped in the hand there is grave danger of a 

 catastrophe to the tail, unless care is taken to allow 

 the creature to entwine itself amongst the fingers, 

 which slow-worms are very fond of doing. If they 

 are held up by the neck, firmly gripped by the thumb 

 and finger as if they were something which might 

 have to be dropped very suddenly — as many hold 

 them, — they will probably lash themselves wildly from 

 side to side and at the same time stiffen the muscles 

 of the tail. It is an energetic protest against the 

 method of handling. In such a case a part of the tail 

 is very apt to be broken off, due to the great fragility 

 possessed by this organ, hence the specific name 

 fragilis. No danger of this accident need be appre- 

 hended if the captor will allow the slow-worm to rest 

 on the whole of the palm of the hand and insert its 

 coils between the fingers. The cause of this easy 

 separation of a part of the tail has recently been in- 

 vestigated, and is dealt with in a subsequent chapter. 

 It is a phenomenon seen in many species of lizards, 

 and is of use to them in assisting evasion of their 

 enemies. Other reptiles feed upon slow-worms, and if 

 the pursuer catches the slow-worm by the tail, and the 



