408 



LOWER VER TEBRA TES. 



The genus Hemidactylus is vei-y generally distributed through the warmer regions 

 of the globe, and is cliaracterized by having the dilated toes armed beneath by two 

 series of transverse imbricate plates, and the trunk and tail without lateral cutaneous 

 appendages. H. trihedrus has the back granulated with numerous trihedral tubercles, 

 some of which equal the opening of the ear in size. Tlie femoral pores do not cross 

 the pre-anal region. This animal, which reaches a length of seven inches, inhabits the 

 coast of Malabar, avoiding the liabitations of man, only living in i-ocks and trees. Of 

 much different habits is the semi-domesticated //. niucidatus, the most common gecko 

 in India, and extending its geograjihical i-ange into China, the Philiiiijine Islands, and 



Fig. 23G. — IlemUIacrjjlns vcn-iLcidatuit, gecko. 



Mauritius. H. frcBnatun, the cheecha of Ceylon, inhabiting also In<lia and possibly 

 south Africa and Polynesia, is a most interesting little animal. But four or five inches 

 in length, it makes its a]ipearance soon after sunset, .about the walls of the Inili;in 

 dwellings, in search of flies or other small insects. If some attention be shown it, 

 however, it will jiresent itself every evening at the accustomed place, where it expects 

 rice or morsels of bread, soon becoming very tame. The female lays three or four 

 eggs in a crevice of some old wall, or possil)ly in a hollow tree. IT. vemicalatus 

 inhabits the shores of the Meiliterranean, where it is often fomid in cellars. It is of 

 a reddish-gray color, with back anil tail covered with conical tubercles. 



To the collector in the island of Jamaica, the croaking-lizard, Thecadactjjlus 



