TERRESTRIAL AMBLYRHYNCHUS. 159 



that, when we were left at James Island, we could 

 not for some time find a spot free from their bur- 

 rows on which to pitch our single tent. Like their 

 brothers the sea-kind, they are ugly animals, of a 

 yellowish orange beneath, and of a brownish red 

 colour above : from their low, facial angle, they have 

 a singularly stupid appearance. They are, per- 

 haps, of a rather less size than the marine species; 

 but several of them weighed between ten and fif- 

 teen pounds. In their movements they are lazy 

 and half torpid. "When not frightened, they slow- 

 ly crawl along with their tails and bellies dragging 

 on the ground. They often stop, and doze for a 

 minute or two, with closed eyes and hind legs 

 spread out on the parched soil. 



They inhabit burrows, which they sometimes 

 make between fragments of lava, but more gener- 

 ally on level patches of the soft sandstone-like tuff. 

 The holes do not appear to be very deep, and they 

 enter the ground at a small angle ; so that, when 

 walking over these lizard-warrens, the soil is con- 

 stantly giving way, much to the annoyance of the 

 tired walker. This animal, when making its bur- 

 row, works alternately the opposite sides of its 

 body. One front leg for a short time scratches up 

 the soil, and throws it towards the hind foot, which 

 is well placed so as to heave it beyond the mouth 

 of the hole. That side of the body being tired, the 

 other takes up the task, and so on alternately. I 

 watched one for a long time, till half its body was 

 buried ; I then walked up and pulled it by the tail ; 

 at this it was greatly astonished, and soon shuffled 

 up to see what was the matter ; and then stared 

 me in the face, as much as to say, " Wliat made 

 you pull my tail 1" 



They feed by day, and do not wander far from 

 their burrows; if ft-ightened, they rush to them with 



