88 REPTILES SAURIANS DIAGRAM 5. 



with which these animals dig holes where they hibernate during 

 the winter season. 



The carapace of the turtle is covered with large plates of a fine 

 brown colour. In some species, these plates form the substance 

 known in commerce as tortoiseshell, of which combs and many 

 other articles are made. The plates are thin, but they melt the 

 tortoiseshell and can then give it any required thickness. 



SAUBIANS. 

 [ DIAGRAM 5. ] 



Saurian is derived from a Greek word meaning lizard. 



LIZARDS. The reptiles of this family are only represented in 

 this country by some little grey and greenish lizards, which are 

 found along old walls, in the hottest days of summer. Their 

 activity is wonderful on sand or stones, where the sun falls ; but 

 as soon as night comes on, or it grows a little cold, they become 

 torpid. In spite of their small size, they are courageous, and if 

 you hold your finger to a lizard which puts its head out of a 

 hole, it darts up, and bites it with its sharp little teeth. They 

 usually feed on insects and slugs. But one curious peculiarity 

 is that when one of these reptiles is seized by the tail, the tail 

 remains in the hand, without the animal seeming to suffer from 

 this mutilation ; and when the tail has thus been broken off, a 

 rudiment grows again. 



The same thing is noticed in another animal which is found in 

 our woods, and which is formed like a serpent, and called the 

 JBlindworm, or Slowworm. It also is very fragile, and breaks off its 

 tail when seized by the end of the body. The blindworm has 

 no limbs, and glides like a serpent- but nevertheless its gold- 

 coloured eyes are protected by eyelids, whereas serpents have 

 none. It is a very gentle animal, and quite harmless, for its 

 teeth are too weak to hurt anyone, and it thrusts out its little 



