86 SAURIA. GECKOTID^. 



the tail. During the process, which lasts for a 

 day or two, the half-detached skin hangs about 

 the animal in loose folds, resembling the finest 

 muslin, apparently to its great annoyance. The 

 colours of the body after this shedding of the 

 cuticle are much brighter and more definite. 



By means of the singular lamellated structure 

 on the under surface of the toes, the Geckos, or 

 at least many of them, are enabled to cHng to 

 vertical or even inverted surfaces, as house-flies 

 do. The mode in which this is effected, we do 

 not thoroughly understand ; but we may con- 

 jecture that it is by the raising of these imbri- 

 cated plates by muscular action, so as to form a 

 vacuum beneath the sole, when the pressure of 

 the external air causes the toe to adhere firmly 

 to the surface. The similarity of the structure to 

 that of the coronal sucker in the Remora, suggests 

 this explanation. A familiar illustration of the 

 principle is seen in the leathern suckers which 

 children make, which adhere so firmly that large 

 stones are lifted by them. 



M. Dumeril has noticed a peculiarity in the 

 oesophagus or gullet of this Family, which is the 

 more extraordinary, since the part is not exposed 

 to the light. In many species, both living and 

 dead, which he examined, he found the interior 

 of this tube, which is very wide, strongly coloured 

 with different shades, uniform in the same indi- 

 vidual, sometimes orange-yellow, but more gene- 

 rally deep black. We have observed something 

 analogous to this in the rich Vermillion hue of 

 the whole interior of the mouth and vomer of 

 some West Indian fishes. 



The names Gecko, Geitje, Tockaie, &c,, by 



