OUTLINES OF THE DEVKLOPMENT OF THE TUyVTARA. 7 



ficulty the eggs can be got out of some of them without injury. 

 The eggs, in the majority of cases, must be laid outside of tlie 

 chamber and carried in by the lizard, either by its mouth or 

 claws, and placed in position; not a vacant space is left in the 

 cavity where the eggs are deposited. The most of the nests 

 found were only a few inches underneath the surface. The 

 eggs are covered up with the soil removed from the chamber 

 in excavating, and well pressed in on the eggs, then the 

 entrance to the hole is stuffed with grass or leaves, and left to 

 appear as like the surrounding locality as possible." 



''A few nests have been found at the extreme end of tunnels 

 exteuding into the earth for a distance of two or three feet. 

 The main tunnel is used by the lizard as a place of abode, and 

 is left open at the entrance. At the extreme end a small 

 chamber is scratched out at right angles from the main tunnel, 

 and in this are the eggs packed and covered up with soil. 

 The eggs in this case were probably laid in the main chamber 

 and then conveyed to the nest, as described in the first kind of 

 nests. The soil where the eggs were deposited is chiefly com- 

 posed of a mixture of clay and sand, but a good many of the 

 nests were found in surface soil, and, as before stated, only a 

 few inches in the ground. I may, however, say that no nests 

 were found in loose soil, and a very favourite place for them is 

 underneath a footpath. The ground being hard on lop would 

 no doubt cause the rain to run off in the winter. From ten to 

 fifteen eggs is the average number found in any nest. In the 

 deep holes some of the eggs were scratched outside the en- 

 trance, and it was owing to this that these were found. If 

 you will picture to yourself the slope of a hill, you will easily 

 understand the above description of their operations. I very 

 much regret that your suggestion about retaining some of the 

 eggs in the nests for further development did not reach me 

 sooner; some of the nests, at all events, could be dealt with in 

 the manner you describe." 



On February 4lh, 1898, I received another letter from my 

 indefatigable correspondent, containing most valuable informa- 

 tion. He tells me that thev had been searchinu all the cleared 



