SNAKE-LIZARDS. 141 



Lizards ; but Lacepede asserts that it continues 

 to live in its burrow, coming up to obtain air 

 and food, when it raises its head out of its hole 

 ready to retreat on any alarm. " Even in the 

 winter," says Mr. Martin, "it sometimes does 

 this, though snow may be on the ground, if the 

 sun be shining with a warm though transient 

 gleam."* In summer it may frequently be seen 

 on sunny banks and beneath hedges, enjoying 

 the warmth and basking in the genial beam: it 

 is easily captured, and as easily killed, for its 

 fright produces the rigid brittleness already de- 

 scribed, instead of quickening its efforts to 

 escape. 



The food of the Slow-worm must of necessity 

 be very small, for the mouth not being dilatable, 

 as in the true Snakes, it cannot possibly receive 

 such prey as Frogs, Toads, and Rats, which have 

 been absurdly assigned to it. Professor Bell has 

 found insects in its stomach, and M. de Sept 

 Fontaines asserts that it will readily feed on 

 earth-worms, even of six or seven inches in 

 length. But yet another prey seems to be still 

 more acceptable, according to the following very 

 interesting note by Mr. Daniel. 



" A Blind-worm that I kept alive for nine weeks, 

 would, when touched, turn and bite, although not 

 very sharply : its bite was not sufficient to draw 

 blood, but it always retained its hold until re- 

 leased. It drank sparingly of milk, raising its 

 head when drinking. It fed upon the little white 

 slug {Limax agrestis, Linn.) so common in fields 

 and gardens, eating six or seven of them, one 

 after another ; but it did not eat every day. It 



* Pict. Mus. ii. 99. 



