THE REPTILES OF NOETH CHINA, &c. 165 



have the part of a dried skin which measures four and a quarter inches 

 in width. Allowing for shrinkage in drying, this would give a circum- 

 ference of at least five inches, probably more. A specimen that 

 measured four feet seven inches, had a circumference of three inches, 

 so that the length of the snake from which my piece of skin was taken 

 can be imagined. 



The seventh species (Zamenis spinalis) encountered in North 

 China is a long whip-like snake, also harmless, which is found in Kan- 

 eu. It is of an olive-brown colour with three white stripes down the 

 body, and some white markings on the head. This snake also seems 

 to be fond of watery places, but this is doubtless due to the fact that 

 there is an abundance of small life in such localities, upon which 

 they may feed. 



The next group of reptiles to be -considered is even more scantily 

 represented than the snakes. There are only three species of lizard 

 in North China and South Mongolia. How many there are in Man- 

 [churia I could not say. I came across but one, which apparently 

 was the dullard lizard, (Eremias argus) of North China and Mongolia. 

 This belongs to the family Lacertidae, the true lizards, and is very 

 much like the little lizard found in Great Britain. It varies 

 greatly in colour and markings. It may be seen along the sides of a 

 dusty road on the plains, amongst the rocks and bushes of the moun- 

 tains, or in the sand dunes of the desert. Including the tfeil, it is 

 about four inches in length, though longer specimens are often seen. 

 It is extremely rapid in its movements and makes a pretty addition 

 to the vivarium. Its food is beetles and other small insects. The 

 Manchurian specimens seemed to me to possess longer tails, and to 

 be of a larger size. Another species inhabiting Japan has a bright 

 blue tail. 



The next species is tJie toad-headed lizard, (Phrynocephalus fron- 

 talis) which inhabits the sandy areas of North Shansi, the Ordos Desert 

 and westward. This pretty little creature is characterized,- as the name 

 suggests, by a short toad-like head. It is of a sandy colour, mottled 

 with darker markings. There is a bright mauve patch on each side 

 just behind the arm-pit, while the under surface of the tail is ver- 

 milion. These little creatures are very pugnacious, and, when fighting 

 each other, lash their tails from side to side, or rapidly curl and uncurl 

 them over their backs. They live in little shallow burrows, which 

 they excavate themselves. Where they exist at all, they occur in 

 great numbers. 



The last lizard to be considered is the gecko (Gecko japonica), 

 which is doubtless familiar to the reader. Geckos inhabit the cracks 



