74 BRITISH LIZARDS 



without sustaining the fracture of the tail which under 

 some other conditions occurs with great ease. This 

 lizard is another example of a reptile which is any- 

 thing but slow and sluggish in its movements ; indeed, 

 the very opposite is the truth, it is extremely quick 

 and agile. In captivity it has been found by some 

 to do badly, whilst others have found no difficulty 

 in keeping it. It certainly does not seem to thrive 

 after a year or so, possibly the artificial hibernation is 

 not satisfactory. It soon becomes accustomed to its 

 owner and free from all fear. 



Food. — As usual insects of one kind or another 

 are largely partaken of. Butterflies are said to be 

 a favourite diet. Worms also, and, according to 

 Dr. Gadow, snails, are eaten. In a specimen the 

 author has from Gironde, the stomach was nearly 

 full of a species of black beetle. The lizard itself 

 was from the gullet of a smooth snake, so that the 

 snake, the lizard, and the beetles, formed a striking 

 object-lesson on the struggle for existence in nature. 

 What the beetles contained in the way of food w^as not 

 ascertained. 



Reproduction. — After the green lizards emerge from 

 the winter hibernation, the males fight amongst them- 

 selves a good deal previous to pairing with the females, 

 which takes place in the spring months. After fer- 

 tilisation, the eggs are partially developed in the 

 female oviducts, where they are carried for four 

 weeks. They are then deposited in situations suitable 



