47 



CHAPTER V. 



REPTILES, 



/ 



DR. GULIA has published a complete list of 

 the reptiles existing in Malta in II Barth, a medical 

 and scientific journal of which he was the editor* 

 The common Land Tortoise or Fecruna ta V ard is 

 not used as food, although its flesh is palatable. 

 The common Turtle or Fecruna tal Bahar is often 

 taken by fishermen. 



Lizards are plentiful enough especially the Wall 

 Lizard or Gremxula, which changes its colour with 

 ease. Strange to say, all the lizards on the islet rock 

 of Filfla are of a beautiful bronze black, a colour 

 not to be found on the mainland. The Gongylus 

 ocellatus or Ocellated Skink, which the natives call 

 Xahmet V ard or " the fat of the earth" is a smooth, 

 slippery, fat reptile, with a skin like a snake's and 

 vary short legs. It grows to the length of 8 or 10 

 inches, and lives under large stones. The Ascal- 

 obotes Mauritanicus or Italian tarantola is called in 

 Malta Uizgha Seuda, and the name of Uizgha is 

 given to a small ugly house-infesting lizard. The 



