84 REPTILES AND BATRACHIANS 



rocks and old walls, basking in the sun and dashing away 

 into holes or crevices with extreme rapidity when 

 approached. Italy and the east coast of the Adriatic 

 produce beautiful varieties (campestris, serpa, Jiumana), 

 some individuals being of a bright green colour, with or 

 without black-and-white spots, streaks, or markings, and 

 often reaching a much larger size than the typical form. 



On some small islands in the Mediterranean and the 

 Adriatic all the lizards are entirely black above, lapis blue, 

 or black beneath, such as the variety ccerulea from the 

 Faraglioni rocks near Capri, and lilfordi from the Baleares ; 

 in the ysLiiety Jilfolensis, from the Filfola rock near Malta, 

 the colour is also black, but usually relieved with small 

 green spots, remains of the ground colour of the Maltese 

 Lizard, from which it is derived. One of the best marked 

 forms is the variety bedriagce, which occurs at a considerable 

 altitude in Corsica ; it is remarkable for its much flattened 

 head and body, and for its large size, reaching a length of 

 over three inches, without the tail, which is about twice 

 as long as the body. 



All who have tried to catch Wall Lizards wdth the hand 

 must wonder how such numbers can be procured by dealers 

 all over Europe. This is done by means of a horsehair at 

 the end of a flexible rod ; the hair is tied in a noose at the 

 end, which the practised Italian and Dalmatian youths 

 manage to pass round the neck of the lizard basking in the 

 sun ; a rapid pull and the lizard is secured. 



With the exception of the variety from the Filfola rock, 

 of which specimens at the gardens are still flourishing at 

 the time of writing, after three years of captivity, the Wall 

 Lizard confined to a small cage does not as a rule live long, 



