ANACONDA AND ANGUIS FRAGILIS. 467 



To the touch having no more bone or substance than an 

 earth-worm of the same size, their abihty to burrow seemed 

 marvellous. When placed in the sunshine — such as there 

 was of it — they basked in apparent satisfaction, retiring 

 betimes and working themselves underground to the depth 

 of four or five inches. Often two or more were missing, 

 when every scrap of earth and moss had to be spread on 

 a newspaper and minutely separated to search for them. 

 Indeed, I have never felt certain whether the family 

 originally consisted of eight, nine, or ten, having a strong 

 suspicion that their grown-up relatives or the lizard had 

 supposed them to be worms placed there for their express 

 delectation. And when, one day, the number was reduced 

 to six, and the green lizard looked unusually plump and 

 impudent, the young fry were quickly transferred to a sepa- 

 rate home, a glass bowl, through which they could be watched 

 without molestation, and up which they could not possibly 

 crawl. The smallest of worms (the weather being warm again) 

 and a cockle-shell of water, the softest of sand and the prettiest 

 of mosses, ministered to their comfort ; but though they grew 

 very slightly and their colour became more defined, I do not 

 think they partook of food or water during the whole six 

 weeks that they were thus watched and cared for. One 

 from the first day was always livelier than the rest. It was 

 one of those that had been hatched first or possibly born 

 alive, being perfect, and with the navel closed when I had 

 first discovered it. Through the glass we could see them 

 deep down in the earth, and so close to the side that they 

 could nearly always be easily counted. Not at all sociable 

 were the little ones, one here, another there, as if getting as 



