i66 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



eyes, by way of compensation, being 

 covered b}' transparent Iidimu' plates, 

 which impart to these creatures that 

 ])eculiar stony stare which un- 

 doubted!)' constitutes one of the 

 most repulsi\-e features of their tribe. 

 There are, however, a few exceptional 

 lizards devoid of eyelids, though these 

 species do not take a snake-like form. 

 Lizards, while distributed through- 

 out temperate and tropical regions, 

 attain to the zenith of their repre- 

 sentation in size, number, and variety 

 of form and colour in tropical and 

 sub-tropical countries. The majority 

 of species are essentiall)' sun-wor- 

 shippers, and in temperate climates, 

 such as that of England, where they 

 are but sparsel)- represented, pass the 

 cheerless winter months in a state of 



"^"^t^M- '"'"'^Bfc torpid hibernation. 



■•^r^~^ft/T^?B The first position among the 



Lizard Tribe is usually accorded to 

 the Gecko F.vmilv — agroupnumber- 

 ing 280 species, which present several 

 somewhat anomalous features and 

 characteristics. In the first place, in 

 contradistinction to the majority of 

 lizard forms, the}' are for the most 

 part nocturnal in their habits, and 

 have their eyes speciall)' modified to 

 meet them. Geckos, as the exception 

 to the ordinar)' lizards previously 

 referred to, possess no eyelids and 

 the pupil of the eye, as seen in broad da_\-light, is mostly represented by a narrow vertical slit, 

 like that of a cat, or a nocturnal dog-fish. As the night approaches, however, the membranous 

 diaphragm is retracted, displaying to view a symmetrically orbicular pupil of abnormal size 

 and luminositw Another 



W.;. h^ 11: Suvilli-Ktm, F.Z.S. 



BURMESE GECKOS 



One of the largeit member i of the tribcf measuring S or 10 inches in length 



prominent characteristic of 

 the geckos is the peculiar 

 modification of their feet, 

 which in most instances are 

 furnished with adhesive disks 

 or pads, which enable these 

 lizards to run with ease, after 

 the manner of flies, on the 

 smooth surface of a wall or 

 window-pane, or even along 

 the ceiling. It is further 

 noteworthy of the geckos that 

 they are the only lizards which 

 possess the power of emitting 



rhatt b) If-'. Saville-Ktnt, F.Z.S. 



BURMESE GECKO 



Utider-iurfuce ihozvng minute hexjgonal scales and pecuH^i structure of tht adheitTje toe-padt 



