78 OCCASIONAL PAPERS. 



the case, she had surprised a slow- worm as it was 

 retreating, and without endeavouring to touch it 

 was performing a circular dance round the hole it 

 was entering. I seized it before it made good its 

 escape, and carried it home to the others. 



The general food of the Slow-worm consists of the 

 small white a^id grey slugs so common and so 

 mischievous in gardens, and the mode of eating is 

 very peculiar. If hungry, on seeing a slug crawling 

 along it approaches it, eyeing it intently, and with 

 the greatest deliberation seizes it across the middle ; 

 there is no darting, nothing sudden, it merely 

 opens its mouth and quietly takes hold of its prey. 

 Of course, from the nature of its food, we see there 

 is not the slightest necessity for rapid movements 

 such as we find in those of its near relation, the 

 Scaly Lizard which has to catch flies. So with the 

 swallowing, it is done very gradually, and often takes 

 a long time, a considerable quantity of fluid covering 

 the mouth meanwhile. If the slug has been crawling 

 over the earth, and has anything adhering to it, the 

 slow-worm will take it to a stone and rub it against 

 it till it is detached. This shows the the possession 

 of a considerable amount of reasoning power, as it 

 was only done when necessary. I could not always 

 provide slugs for them and sometimes they took 

 earthworms, but they did not relish them so well. 



Like all the members of its class the Slow-worm 

 is under the necessity of changing its skin at intervals ; 

 it does not, as with the snake, come off entire, but 

 in several detached portions, which peel off, the 

 creature assisting in the process by twining its body 

 in and out amongst rough substances. One of mine 



