190 REPTILES AND FISH 



insects, possibly on termites also. This specimen much 

 resembled one of the legless lizards found under stones 

 or logs of wood, which the Baganda call " Namugoya," 

 and the English " blind worm " or " slow worm," in spite 

 of their bright eyes and often quite active movements. 

 The " Namugoya " is, of course, regarded by the natives 

 as a snake, and therefore on no account to be touched. 



Frogs and Toads. 



Frogs have already been mentioned as contributing to 

 the sounds heard on the islands. The species most often 

 seen on the shore much resembles the European " Green 

 tree frog," and may be found freely exposed to the sun 

 on leaves or branches. It adapts its colouration to the 

 intensity of the illumination, and in very light surroundings 

 becomes very light golden green or even milk white. 

 Among dark surroundings it is greenish black, but does 

 not assume brown tints. Another tree frog, very much 

 smaller, seems to be responsible for the shrill tinkling 

 noise, like sleigh bells, always heard among reeds and 

 rushes after sunset. The green frogs are devoured by 

 the green grass snake previously described, and their cry, 

 when caught, is pitiful, and surprisingly like that of a 

 child. 



Another species — possibly a toad — which is also much 

 to the liking of snakes is larger, and has a rough brown 

 skin ; it lives by day in burrows which it digs where the 

 soil is suitably light. A green snake was seen one day 

 with its head down one of these burrows attempting to 

 swallow the occupant, and as the mouth of the burrow 

 was large and the snake thin, I was able to look past 

 the snake and see how the toad had distended itself with 

 air to such an extent that the snake, with mouth wide 

 agape, could not get a grip on the spherical surface. 

 Though it persevered for an hour, with jaws so widely 

 apart that upper and lower jaws were almost in a straight 



