INSECT HUNTERS 187 



table. Upon this table was an ordinary looking-glass, 

 under which a lizard had taken up his habitation. 

 From his point of view the position was a good one, 

 for the lamp overhead attracted to the table a number 

 of insects which the lizard could watch from under the 

 base of the glass. 



The lizard caught sight of the beetle and began to 

 stalk it. Surely, I thought, the hzard will not try to 

 devour that beetle, which is nearly half as big as 

 himself ; but, as he emerged from under the glass, I 

 saw that he meant business. Slowly but surely he 

 gained upon the slow-moving beetle. Having arrived 

 close up behind it, he shot forth his sticky tongue. 

 The next moment the beetle found itself lying on a 

 spot eight inches from where it had a second before 

 stood, and the lizard was trembling in his lair. The 

 reptile had apparently expected to find the beetle as 

 soft and luscious as a strawberry, so the instant his 

 tongue felt the hard, chitinous integument of the beetle 

 he drew that organ back pretty smartly. But his 

 tongue was so sticky that the beetle stuck to it for a 

 moment, and so was thrown backwards over the 

 reptile's head. The lizard was startled at what had 

 happened, so instinctively took cover. The insect too 

 was scared nearly out of its wits, and did what most 

 frightened insects do, that is to say, retracted its legs 

 and remained perfectly motionless. When, however, 

 several minutes passed and nothing happened, the 

 beetle grew bold, and putting forth its legs, began 

 again to crawl on its way. Directly it moved the 

 lizard put himself on the qui vive, and even went so far 



