FROGS, TOADS, SALAMANDERS, SNAKES, ETC. 161 



sects, worms, and other small creatures. The most common 

 kinds in the northern part of the United States are the Swift, 

 about seven inches in length, and bluish or bronzed and 

 black in color; and the Bluetailed Skink, also called "Scor- 

 pion," about ten inches long, and olive backed, with five 

 yellow streaks, and blue tail. In the Southwest there is a 

 curious rough-scaled lizard, called the Horned Toad, that is 

 very common. In the Southern States there is found a pretty 

 little lizard called the "chameleon" (not properly a chame- 

 leon), which one frequently sees exposed for sale in the North 

 as a pet. This little lizard has the power of assuming different 

 colors green, gray, yellowish, bronze, and black. It makes 

 an interesting pet for the school-room, but should be properly 

 cared for and not left to starve and thirst to death. 



Snakes are interesting from several standpoints, and should 

 be studied. They have a long slender body with usually a 

 tapering tail and no external legs. 



There are rudiments of the hind legs in some snakes, which 

 seems to indicate that at one time the ancestors of our snakes 

 had legs, but by disuse they became rudimentary or were 

 entirely lost. How do snakes move if they have no legs? 

 Observe a snake "run." It wriggles with a sinuous motion, 

 and by the help of its rough, scaly skin and by a slight motion 

 of its numerous ribs it can move very fast. Chase it into 

 the water and see how gracefully it can swim. Catch a 

 common garter snake, so common everywhere east of the 

 Rocky Mountains. This is found in meadows and along 

 lakes and streams. It is about two feet in length, and is 

 of a general green or olive color, striped lengthwise with 

 yellowish and black stripes. Keep it in a cage in the school- 

 room, and give it a basin of water and some earth on the floor 



