NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Wonderful agility Caution. 



as often to snapp off on the least roughness in 

 handling; in this case it is sometimes reproduced. 

 When the tail has been split or divided length- 

 ways, it has been known that each of the por- 

 tions, in healing, has rounded itself, and thus the 

 animal has had a double tail ; one of these has 

 contained the vertebras, and the other only a 

 Idnd of tendon in the centre. 



The nimble lizard is one of the British spe- 

 cies, which seems to be the most gentle and in- 

 offensive, and, at the same time, the most useful 

 of all the tribe. Its motions are so agile, and it 

 runs with such, swiftness, as, when disturbed, to 

 disappear in a moment. It is fond of basking 

 in the sun, yet, unable to bear excessive heat, in 

 the hottest weather it seeks shelter. In spring, 

 during fine weather, it is often seen luxuriously 

 extended on a sloping green bank, or on a wall 

 exposed to the sun. In these situations it enjoys 

 the full effects of the reviving heat, expressing 

 its delight by gently agitating its slender tail, 

 and its lively and brilliant eyes are animated with 

 pleasure. Should any of the minute animals ap- 

 pear on which it feeds, it springs upon them with 

 amazing quickness ; and if any danger occur, it 

 seeks a more secure retreat with equal rapidity. 

 On the least noise it turns suddenly round, falls 

 down, and seems for some moments perfectly 

 stupified by its fall, or else it suddenly shoots 

 away among the bushes or thick grass, and dis- 

 appears, Its wonderful rapidity of motion is 



