474 Mr. H. Eltringham on some Experiments on 



worm. It then very carefully inspected a larva of P. 

 brassicae, started backwards slightly, and finally refused to 

 look at it. 



One lizard ate a small worm, then part of a larger one ; 

 it then examined a larva of brassicae and seized it, holding 

 it in its mouth by a very small grip of the skin for about 

 three minutes, then it bit it harder and put it out. Then 

 it picked it up very doubtfully and swallowed it very 

 slowly. The other lizard, which had had nothing for at 

 least two days, seized the same kind of larva and swallowed 

 it, apparently without compunction ; it then rubbed its nose 

 against the glass of the cage for some time, and once 

 appeared to writhe on the floor. Later on it was offered 

 another of the same larvae, but it would have nothing 

 to do with it. It then turned round and bit the other 

 lizard twice, though the object of this manoeuvre was not 

 apparent. 



Auffust 30. — One of the lizards tried to eat a larva of 

 rho7nhoidaria, but left it after two attempts. 



August 31. — A lizard after some hesitation appeared to 

 swallow one of these larvae, but a moment later vomited 

 it up again, ran violently round the cage, and then drank 

 some water. A few hours later it bit another, but put it 

 out and rubbed its nose on the pebbles. 



September 1. — The other lizard behaved in exactly the 

 same way this morning. The first lizard Avas given a larva 

 of Sinlosoma Inhricirpcda. It followed it all round the cage 

 feeling it with its tongue, but though it evidently wanted 

 to try it the hairs put it off, and it finally abandoned it. 

 After this neither lizard would eat anything. 



September 2. — One lizard examined a larva of S. htbrici- 

 pcda, but the hairs put it off. Then each lizard ate a 

 worm, and one subsequently ate a larva of P. brassicae 

 rather slowly, putting it out once but finally swallowing 

 it. Later in the day one lizard attacked a " devil's coach- 

 horse " {Ocypus olens). It took about half-an-hour to eat 

 it, continually dropping it and picking it up again. Once 

 it dropped it suddenly and went through the most violent 

 contortions, rubbing its head sideways and half burying 

 itself under the gravel. Whatever the cause of this may 

 have been, it again picked up the beetle and began to 

 swallow it ; apparently it had the greatest difficulty in 

 doing so, as it shook it out of its mouth several times. 

 Ultimately, however, it got it down. 



