86 REPTILES AND BATRACHIANS. 



and if at such times you endeavour forcibly to unwind it, the 

 chances are a portion of its tail, which is in a measure prehensile, 

 will break off. When accustomed to be held it does not contract 

 itself so persistently, but twines in and about the fingers, some- 



Fig. 29. Anguis fragilis in a knot. From life by the author. 



times getting itself into a very pretty knot, out of which it glides 

 when placed on the table, in an extremely interesting manner (fig. 29). 

 The ribs of Anguis fragilis are very numerous and very fine. By 

 means of these it appears to glide, as snakes do ; but you can detect 

 no action in them ; and the quiet sliding, gliding progression of the 

 little creature is very wonderful . Silent, and with no effort, scarcely 

 causing movement in a blade of grass or a spray of moss as it 

 penetrates below that with which its cage is furnished. Its habits 

 are to burrow, and the moment it is released from your hand 

 down it goes into its mossy floor. Worms are, I think, its 

 favourite food, but it takes flies, caterpillars, slugs, and many 

 small things ; and, like the Batrachians, will seize them only when 

 they move, as if it did not recognise them when motionless. 

 It drinks freely, and must always have a pan of clean water in 

 its home. It is very curious and interesting to watch it throw 

 out its bifid tongue to drink, to lap really, which it will do a great 

 number of times in succession, with its neck raised and curved, and 

 its pretty head bent down in a very graceful fashion. The head 

 of Anguis is covered with plates in symmetrical arrangement, each 

 pair, or single median scale, having its own name, as in snakes and 

 other lizards. Though without limbs externally, A. fragilis has 

 vestiges of sternum, shoulder bones, and pelvis, as if its remote 

 ancestors were in possession of limbs, but which had become 

 obsolete from disuse ; and indeed, these limbless lizards are 

 never at a loss, the easy effortless progression of A. fragilis being 

 one of the most marvellous in reptile physiology. And its perse- 

 verance in climbing and in getting to the top of its cage surpasses 

 even that of the toad. My slow-worms inhabited a bell-shaped 

 bowl a few inches higher or deeper than their own length. In 

 order to reach the edge of this, they raised themselves against the 



