viii REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS AND FISHES 



CHAPTER IV 



PAGE 



Food and Growth 47 



Food. Mode of killing prey. Snake-eating snakes; egg-eating snakes. 

 Fascination. Rate of growth. Age. Vitality. Regeneration. 

 Chronic disease. Sloughing of skin. Peculiar associations. 



CHAPTER V 



Sex and Reproduction 62 



Some sexual features. Cries. Scent and scent-glands. Milky and 

 other secretions. Significance of brilliant colouring. Habits in 

 breeding season. Reproduction and care of eggs and young. 

 Maternal instinct in pythons. Vipers swallowing young. Fertility 

 of snakes. Incubation. 



CHAPTER VI 



Coloration and its Interpretation 75 



Colour in relation to environment. Stripes and spots in lizard?. Colour 

 changes in relation to sex and age. Colours of young pit-vipers. 

 Voluntary colour-changes. Green arboreal snakes. Desert-snakes. 

 Sea-snakes. Bark-geckos. Lizards. Warning and protective 

 colours. 



CHAPTER VII 



Adaptations go 



Adaptations to the general conditions of the Environment: 

 Terrestrial types. Arboreal types. Climbing types and effect on 

 tail and feet. Running types. Bipedal types. Flying types. 

 Swimming types. Sail-backed lizards. Limbless types. Burrow- 

 ing types. Modification of the eye and ear. Dermal armour. 



CHAPTER VIII 

 Adaptations {continued). Adaptations to Special Ends . . . 128 

 Devices for diminishing weight. Shoulder-girdle and pelvic girdle of 

 tortoise tribe. Devices in regard to movement and breathing under 

 water. Beaks and teeth in relation to food. Poison-fangs. The 

 chamaeleon's tongue. Blood-squirting from the eyes. Skin-secre- 

 tions. Spitting. Fluid exudations. Hissing and intimidation. 

 Death-feigning. Immunity to snake-venom. Lungs of chamaeleons 

 and snakes. Voluntary fractures. Rattlesnake's rattle. 



SECTION II 



Amphibia 



By J. T. Cunningham, M.A., Oxon., and G. A. Boulenger, D.Sc, F.R.S., 

 Zoological Department, British Museum 



CHAPTER I 

 General Characters .......... 157 



How distinguished from fishes, and from reptiles. Other general features 

 of structure. Larval development. Classification. 



