46o SNAKES. 



were supplied, much too often for Blacklc's peace of mind. 

 She continued wild and alarmed, defeating- search by quick 

 movements below. The ever active lizard, too, had 

 frequently to be hunted out ; for whether he had retreated 

 ,below, or had gone off altogether, could not be ascertained 

 unless the box and its inmates were turned out bodily to 

 count heads — a species of roll-call not tending to tranquillize 

 the unquiet pair. These trifles are mentioned to show the 

 sort of life the poor little captives led for many weeks. 

 They were raked over or turned out literally topsy-turvy 

 every few hours. Only at night had they any peace ; for 

 being well disposed reptiles, who kept regular hours and 

 retired early to rest, but not rising betimes in the morning, 

 they could be safely left uncovered until and unless 

 sunshine enticed them upwards. 



All ate and drank regularly but Blackie, who, so far as 

 I was able to ascertain, was a total abstainer. 



Thus, in their incommodious box, they lived until the 

 middle of October, when (after making visits on the way, 

 and secretly harbouring my * snakes ' like stolen booty) I 

 arrived in London. At that time the sun seemed trying 

 to atone for its summer deficiencies, and whenever any of 

 its grateful warmth could be obtained through the London 

 atmosphere the lizards were deposited in a window, but 

 Blackie remained always below. Suddenly she also 

 grew refractory. She got out of the box, and had frequent 

 falls from the table to the floor. So had the other 

 restless one, necessitating still more frequent roll-calls, 

 and bringing troublous times on themselves. I had 

 observed in a former pet, that when the season of 



