VOICE OF GECKO 



which habitually walk about on smooth and slippery 

 leaves and branches, have the same lamellae upon the 

 toes. This statement by no means exhausts the 

 peculiarities of the gecko tribe, which includes some of 

 the most remarkable among lizards. Outwardly they 

 are quite unmistakable lizards : but of the majority 

 it will be noticed that they stare with a protracted 

 gaze unbroken by a wink. This is due to the absence 

 of eyelids and the covering over of the eye by a trans- 

 parent membrane, which gives to the look of the reptile 

 the unwavering and coldly unsympathetic glance of 

 the snake. Like some other lizards, the geckos fracture 

 their tails, or rather allow them to be fractured, with 

 the greatest impunity. This is a great boon to them, 

 for a waggling tail is clearly that part of the animal 

 which is most likely to be bitten at by a bird in pursuit. 

 The easy breakage of the tail and the ease with which 

 it is subsequently repaired by its former possessor, 

 enables the gecko to successfully brave many dangers 

 incidental to an exposed and reptilian life. There 

 are certain features in the skeleton, which imply an 

 ancient history for the geckos ; for instance, the noto- 

 chord, that softish gristly rod which is the forerunner 

 of the vertebral column, and which persists largely 

 or entirely in fishes, is also largely persistent in these 

 geckos. The tokay itself is found in many parts of 

 the East, and, like other geckos, and unlike lizards in 

 general, it has a voice which is described by Captain 

 Flower as consisting of the word " tokay " pro- 

 nounced several times " after a preliminary cackle." The 

 native of Siam uses this voice as a means of gambling ; 

 bets are taken upon the number of times that the word 

 " tokay " is pronounced by the lizards, which is usually 

 seven or eight, but sometimes as many as eleven. The 

 tokay can also puff and hiss, and is so far merely lacer- 

 tilian and not geckonine. It lives in houses and is 



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