Zoological Society. 307 



the wings buffy white ; primaries and secondaries dark slate-colour ; 

 flanks and under surface of the wing grey ; chest and abdomen white, 

 separated from the grey of the flanks by a series of black feathers ; 

 under tail-coverts and tliighs white ; bill yellow ; tarsi olive. 



The young differs in having the whole of the crown of the head 

 black ; all the upper surface greyish brown ; and the under surface 

 striated with brown and white. 



Total length 38 inches ; bill 7 ; wing 19 ; tail 1^ ; tarsi 5. 



Hab. India and Australia. 



Remark. — Having carefully compared examples of this species 

 with the Common Heron of Europe, I find it diff^ers from that bird 

 in being altogether of a larger size, and that the line of the bill, in- 

 stead of being straight, has an upward tendency ; in other respects 

 they are very similar. 



4. On the Habits of Mabouya agilis. By P. H. Gosse. 



In the parts of Jamaica with which I am familiar, this pretty, active 

 little Scink is abundant. It is most numerous in the lowlands, and 

 on the gently-sloping hills of moderate elevation that form the cha- 

 racteristic feature of the southern side of that beautiful island. The 

 fences there are largely composed of ' dry- wall,' built of rough un- 

 hewn stones, without cement. On these walls the Mabouya may be 

 seen crawling, and often lying quite still in the sunshine ; when 

 alarmed it darts with lightning-like rapidity into one of the crevices 

 which abound in all parts of such a structure. Indeed it rarely 

 ventures far from some refuge of this kind, and I presume that the 

 facilities for instant retreat afforded by these pervious walls are the 

 chief cause of its preference for them. It is scarcely ever seen on 

 the ground, except when avoiding danger ; nor on the trunk or 

 branches of trees or shrubs ; but in the concavity of a pinguin leaf 

 {Bromelia pinguin) it is occasionally observed to lie, basking in the 

 sun. 



The rounded form of the head and body, devoid of projections ; the 

 close-lying and glossy scales ; the shortness of the legs, bringing the 

 belly flat upon the ground ; and its constant habit of resting with the 

 chin on the ground also, give to the Mabouya an aspect very much 

 unlike that of our other common lizards, and cannot fail to remind 

 even the least observant of its afiinity with the serpent-tribes. The 

 negroes, in the recognition of this proximity, doubtless, have be- 

 stowed upon it the appellation of " Snake's waiting-boy," or more 

 briefly, " Snake-boy." In the parishes ol St. Elizabeth's and West- 

 moreland it is also frequently called the " Woodslave," though in 

 other parts of the island this term seems to be applied to some of the 

 Geckotid<e. From the shortness of its legs results also another resem- 

 blance to a snake, for owing to the shortness of the steps, if made 

 onl)'' with the legs, it throws the shoulder and the hip forward at each 

 step ; and this throwing-out of the sides at different parts alternately 

 produces a wriggling motion, somewhat serpentine in appearance. 



The Woodslave is not very easily captured alive : the hair-noose 

 so successfully used in taking our other small lizards I have always 



20* 



