THREE COMMON REPTILES 



winter, for lizards, including the slowworrn, 

 bury themselves as deep as they can and pass 

 the winter in a long sound sleep. I looked 

 along the old wall for her the next spring, but 

 I never saw Jimmy again. 



Lizards (which includes the slowworm) live on 

 small grubs, insects, and worms, the common 

 lizard being particularly clever at catching 

 flies ; spiders too are pounced upon and eaten 

 in less time than it takes to tell. It was most 

 amusing to drop some flies in front of Jimmy, 

 and watch her cock her head on one side and 

 fix her sharp little eyes on one of them. She 

 would take a step or two towards it, then dart 

 her head forwards, grab the fly, give it a quick 

 bite or two, swallow it, and then wipe her head, 

 like a bird cleaning its beak, from side to side 

 on the grass. Small worms were attacked in 

 the same manner, but as they wriggled and 

 kicked she would often shake them savagely 

 like a dog worrying a rat. When the worm 

 had been disposed of she usually scraped her 

 face with her fore feet to free it from bits, 

 and then wiped it on the ground in the bird- 

 like manner already described. 



Every now and then slowworms and lizards 

 become dull and dirty looking. This is a sign 



247 



