134 SAUEIANS. 



GeckotidtE, or Thick-Tongued Lizards. 



This singular family of Saurians have the head wide and 

 flattened, the mouth wide, the nostrils distant and lateral, the 

 eyes large, with short lids ; the tongue short, fleshy, and capable 

 of slight elongation. The body is thick and short, low on the legs, 

 rather squat and depressed, with a belly trailing on the ground ; 

 back without crest. The skin is defended by granular scales, 

 interlaced with others of a tubercular character ; they are almost 

 always of a sombre colour. Their feet are short, wide apart, and 

 robust ; tliey are furnished on the upper part with imbricated 

 laminae, which enable them to adhere firmly to the surface of even 

 the smoothest bodies, and to run with rapidity in all directions on 

 a plain surface, and even to remain stationary with the back 

 downwards, like the common house Fly. More generally, however, 

 their hooked and retractile claws, like those of cats, assist them 

 in climbing, crawling up trees, rocks, and even perpendicular 

 walls, and to remain there immovable for several hours. Their 

 flexible bodies mould themselves into the depressions of the sur- 

 face of the earth, in which they become scarcely visible, their 

 natural colour blending, and being confounded with, the colour 

 of the soil. Their eye-balls, which dilate and contract consider- 

 ably, protect them from the action of the sun's rays, and enable 

 them, it is thought, to see in the dark. They are nocturnal, 

 avoid the sun's rays, and catch their food in the chinks of rocks. 

 Their movements are rapid, silent, and sudden. They hibernate, 

 and are provided with fatty masses in the groin which are sup- 

 posed to be a provision for their nourishment during that period. 

 Geckos emit sounds which resemble the noise an equestrian 

 makes when he would encourage his horse — smacking their 

 tongues on the palate to produce the sound. They seek habita- 

 tions in which they can find food, and are timid, inofiensive, and 

 qiiite incapable of inflicting injury either by their bite or claws ; 

 but their repulsive appearance makes them objects of general 

 repugnance, and has caused evil properties to be attributed to 

 them. Thus people try to destroy them by every possible means. 

 There are about sixteen known species of Geckos distributed 

 in all quarters of the glob^, but chiefly in warm countries. 



