100 THE VIVARIUM. 
certainly do when looked for in the fields. It is wise to arrange 
that your shadow does not precede you, for if it should, your 
prey will be warned. 
I do earnestly hope that the hints given here for the capture of 
these beautiful and useful little creatures will not lead to their 
being hunted by anybody just simply for what he may call sport. 
No one should catch them and place them in captivity unless it 
be with the intention of caring for them properly. I believe, for 
the reasons stated elsewhere, that when kindly and wisely treated 
in confinement, they are as happy as at liberty. On the other 
hand, I trust that these remarks of mine on the keeping of 
Reptiles in confinement will tend to the comfort of many rather 
than the reverse. 
These animals are often treated very cruelly through ignorance. 
For example, some time ago I entered a very large birdshop in 
London and asked, ‘‘ What Reptiles or Batrachians have you in 
stock ?’’ ‘‘ Nothing,’’ was the reply, ‘‘but some Tree-frogs and 
Fire-bellied Toads.’’ I was shown an oblong aquarium, the 
bottom of which was covered thickly with common red bird sand. 
On the sand and in it were many Frogs and Toads looking most 
miserable. ‘‘ What do you feed the poor beasts on?’’ ‘Oh, 
nothing. They want nothing. These things live without eating.” 
‘¢Live without eating.”? I exclaimed, ‘‘does anything live with- 
out eating ?’’ Only to hear the stupid and rather sullen reply, 
‘*Well, there’s lots of insects in the sand which you can’t see, 
and which is enough for them.’’ I am glad that I persuaded the 
man to give them some fresh water and a few mealworms before 
I left. 
Then again, one hears of.people offering Fresh-water Tortoises 
vegetable food, and Land Tortoises animal food; of Salamanders 
kept constantly in water; of snakes exposed without any shelter 
to the hottest sun, and supplied with bread and milk as food; of 
a kind of ‘‘ happy family,’’ where Snakes, Frogs, Toads, Lizards, 
Newts, and Salamanders are expected to live peacefully and com- 
fortably together. ; 
The Common Lizard (Lacerta vivipara,. Fig. 41), is a very 
pretty little Reptile, and readily adapts itself to confinement, 
and quickly becomes tame. It will eat small earth-worms, 
rin 
