CHAPTER VI 



ANIMALS OP THE EASTERN STATES 



WHEN a naturalist from western Europe crosses the Atlantic, 

 and after landing at one of the great ports on the east coast 

 of the United States, takes a stroll in the country on a fine 

 summer's day, a great many novel features strike his eye. 

 Let us suppose, for instance, that he is specially interested 

 in reptiles and amphibians. Although the neighbourhood of 

 New York and Boston abounds with ideal dry sandy banks 

 which would be alive with lizards if situated in France or 

 Germany, these reptiles seem to be completely absent. This 

 is actually the case. No lizards have been observed in the 

 neighbourhood of these cities. If he went further inland 

 to ascertain whether America is really devoid of lizards, our 

 visitor might succeed, after crossing the Hudson River, in 

 capturing some. Two kinds of lizard have been recorded 

 from the western parts of the State of New York, viz., the 

 blue-tailed lizard (Eumeces quinquelineatus) and the common 

 swift (Sceloporus undulatus).* The first of these is a strik- 

 ingly handsome species with five vividly yellow lines along 

 the back and a tail of brilliant blue. It is altogether different 

 from the ordinary European lizards, for the scales are shiny 

 like those oif the slow-worm. 7The blue-tailed lizard forms 

 part, in fact, of the large family of skinks (Scincidae) most 

 of which inhabit the tropical portions of the Old World. The 

 genus Eumeces (Plestiodon) to which the American blue- 

 tailed lizard belongs, is largely confined to the south-eastern 

 and southern States of North America. A few species are 

 found in the south-west and in Mexico, while the genus is 

 entirely absent from South America and Europe. Eight 

 species are known from Asia. Now the most remarkable point 



* Eckel, E. C., and F. C. Paulmier, " New York Reptiles," p. 390. 



