128 THE VIVARIUM. 
Sand-Skink just described, is also a very handsome Lizard, and one 
which lives well and for long in captivity. Its habits are very 
like those of its near relative. It soon makes a home for itself 
in some particular part of the case in which it is confined, e.g., 
under a piece of cork-bark or beneath a stone, and should a fly, 
beetle, or cockroach stray near its den, the little creature, ap- 
parently generally alert, darts out, seizes its prey, and immedi- 
ately withdraws into retirement to devour it. This conduct is 
characteristic of many Lizards, but it is very noticeable in this 
little Skink and the one next to be described. 
S. Viridanus can sometimes be bought fairly cheaply in this 
country. I was once fortunate in procuring a perfect specimen 
for 3s. The colour of this Lizard on the upper parts is olive- 
green, marked with light black-edged spots. The sides of the 
head and body, the limbs, and lower parts are of a darker colour 
generally, sometimes almost quite black. The tail is about as 
long as the head and body. The four limbs are short, but strong, 
and are each furnished with five toes. The entire length of the 
little animal is about 53in. It comes from Madeira and the 
Canary Isles. I have one which came as a stowaway in a box of 
fruit from Teneriffe. 
The Three-toed Sand-Skink (Seps tridactylus, Gray, or, Chal- 
cides tridactylus, Boulenger), is a curious-looking and interesting 
animal (Fig. 47), not counting its short and almost, if not quite, 
useless legs, is somewhat like in its general shape to the Common 
Slow-worm (Anguis fragilis). The limbs of the Three-toed Skink, 
though they vary not a little in different specimens, are insigni- 
ficant. But notwithstanding their weakness, the Reptile is by 
no means slow and inactive. I have had one which climbed up 
a small orange-tree, and escaped through a feeding-hole (see Fig. 12, 
p. 20) in the roof of its case. 
We see in this Skink an animal very closely approaching the 
snake-like form, and yet possessing legs and toes. It lives well 
in confinement, and is not difficult to procure in this country, 
costing generally about 7s. Its food should consist of cock- 
roaches, beetles, mealworms, gentles, flies, and other insects. 
The Three-toed Skink comes from the South of France, Italy, 
Algeria, Morocco, and all the islands of the Mediterranean. 
