330 LIZARDS, FROGS AND TOADS 



Otaheite and Vanikoro. Dumeril enumerates fifty-five different 

 species, only two of which are indigenous in Southern Europe, 

 while India monopolises no less than thirteen for her share. 



Mr. Adams once witnessed in Borneo a desperate struggle 

 between a Grecko and a large Tarantula spider. After a long 

 and doubtful contest, the Grecko proved at length victorious, 

 and succeeded in swallowing the insect, whose enormous legs, 

 protruding from the lizard's mouth, gave the animal the look 

 of some monstrous cuttle-jfish. 



The graceful Anolis are peculiar to America. By the struc- 

 ture of their feet, provided with long unequal toes, they are re- 

 lated to the Greckoes, but are distin- 

 guished from them by a more slender 

 form of body, by their extremely long 

 thin tail, and a large neck-pouch, which 

 dilates under the influence of excite- 

 ment. These small and nimble creatures, 

 Anolis. "the largest species seldom exceeding 



eight inches in length, are as touchy as 

 fighting-cocks. On approaching them, they instantly blow up 

 their pouch, open widely their diminutive jaws, and spring 

 upon the aggressor, striving to bite him with their teeth, which, 

 however, are too tiny to do much harm. Among each other 

 they live in a perpetual state of warfare. As soon as one 

 Anolis sees another, he makes a rapid advance, while his 

 adversary awaits him with all the courage of a gallant knight. 

 Before beginning the conflict, they make all sorts of menacing 

 gestures, convulsively nodding their heads, puffing up their 

 pouches, until finally they close in desperate struggle. 



" The meeting of these champions proud 

 Seems like the bursting thunder-cloud." 



If they are of equal strength, the battle remains for some time 

 undecided. At length the vanquished Anolis turns and runs 

 away, but he may think himself fortunate if he escapes with 

 the loss of his tail. Many of them are thus deprived of this 

 ornamental appendage, which they voluntarily leave behind to 

 avoid a still greater disaster, and then they become timid, 

 melancholy, and fond of retirement, as if ashamed of being 

 seen, only regaining their spirits when, by a wonderful power 

 of reproduction, the amputated tail has been replaced by another. 



