STUMP-TAILED LIZARD 241 



lizards, it loves to bask in the sun ; but the greatest part 

 of its time is spent in its burrows, which are shallow, but 

 often, in some localities, placed close together in little 

 colonies. The food of this species is not very dissimilar 

 from that of other lizards ; but it eats vegetable matter, as 

 well as flies and soft-bodied creatures of the worm and 

 slug types. I do not think that it ever touches beetles ; 

 and 1 may remark generally that all Australian lizards 

 which I have kept in confinement have been ready to eat 

 food of a kind which they could not obtain in a state of 

 nature — as crumbs of sweet-cake, syrup, and tiny pieces of 

 raw and sometimes cooked meat, such food having been 

 given to them when other was not immediately procurable ; 

 but cakes made with soda are very poisonous to lizards ; 

 and it is desirable, if the pet's health is the first considera- 

 tion, which it always ought to be, to supply it, if possible, 

 with its natural food. Lizards will always eat maggots 

 and ant's eggs ; and these, though not always procurable 

 by travellers, may be bought in towns. 



On the 30th of September I rode about sixteen miles 

 in an almost due south direction through a country which 

 may be described as a level plain, although there were 

 certainly a few hills and undulations of the ground in 

 places. On the whole the country was well wooded and 

 the land evidently fertile; and the number of animals on 

 the dry spots, and flight of birds in the air, were sufficient 

 proof that it was well stocked with game. The number of 

 native fires also, indicated by columns of smoke, showed 

 that the human population was far above the average of 

 an Australian desert region. I did not actually see any 

 blacks this day; they were probably all far too well 

 occupied in their slaughterings, feastings, and corroborees to 

 be wandering abroad on the plain ; and I rejoiced that 

 the poor savage had found better employment than 

 possibly murdering a lone traveller, who has certainly 

 never wished them any harm, nor ever failed to raise his 

 voice, in season and out, for the son of the soil. 



I crossed several streams this day, some of which had 

 the usual deep holes in their beds, with long stretches of 



