THE LIZARDS 371 



look. It lifts its little hand-like paws, and moves them, onty a 

 toe or tinger at a time, and often in the air, very slowly and 

 cautiously, much as a little child moves its hands when stealing 

 along on tip-toe. Then it nears its head towards its prey, l)ut so 

 very slowly that I have better detected its movement by watching 

 its shadow cast on marked paper by strong sunlight, reminding 

 me of the ahnost imperceptible movement of the hour-hand of a 

 clock. At last it has got to about one inch, or a little less, from 

 the fly. As cpiick as light the dart is made, and the fly is caught ; 

 and the little lizard rapidly knocks about its prey from side to 

 side, as a terrier with a rat, not, however, striking the fly against 

 anything, but merely shaking it. After a short time spent in that 

 manner, the lizard proceeds to swallow the fly, which it does 

 by half opening its mouth and drawing it up, and generally, after 

 three or four movements of this kind, the fly is gulped down 

 whole, legs and wings and bristles." 



"It is pretty to see them drinking," he adds; "this they do 

 but seldom ; they lap water much like a cat, but very slowly, as 

 if they were tasting it, every now and then passing their broad, 

 thin, and large tongue right over their eyes, as if washing them, 

 and always so finishing the drinking. Their tongue and palate 

 are of a purple colour. They seem to like the water, as they 

 often go singly into their water-trough, and remain extended 

 in the water for some time. They swim very fast, but clumsily, 

 as if they were in a great hurry about it." 



They are not timid animals, and allow themselves to be caught 

 easily. They can run swiftly when they try, with an undulating 

 movement of the tail. The tail is prehensile, and is used in 

 climbing trees. It is stated that they assume all manner of 

 curious and grotesque positions. Whatever posture they assume 

 they can keep for a long time, and they remain motionless for 

 hours, occasionally even days, in one position. 



Sir W. Buller says that this lizard, on being molested, emits a 

 peculiar chattering sound, which the Maoris term laughing, and 

 of which they have a wide-spread superstitious dread. The laugh 

 of the green lizard was enough to terrify the bravest warrior, 

 and its occult power for evil was strangely believed in by all the 



