48 



bones of a large fossil lizard were found by Dr. 

 Adams at Benghisa. Only two species of snakes 

 are indigenous, both of which are quite harmless. 

 They are the Coluber viridiflavus which the Maltese 

 call Serp or Ghul, and the Spotted Snake or Lifgha. 

 These snakes are plentiful but timid, sometimes 

 attaining a length of 23 inches. According to native 

 tradition St. Paul banished all venomous snakes 

 from Malta, as St. Patrick did from Ireland, and 

 the saliva of persons born on the festival of the 

 Conversion of St. Paul is said to be efficacious in 

 the cure of snake bites, as are also St. Paul's earth, 

 and the Terra SigiUata Melituce. 



The Painted Frog which croaks in numbers in 

 the pools, in the aqueduct at the Marsa, and some- 

 times in brackish water was formerly fried and eaten 

 on fast days, and was also given in the form of 

 soup to sick children. 



In addition to the list of reptiles by Dr. Gulia 

 already referred to, see also Dr. A. L. Adams' 

 "Notes of a Naturalist,'\and "Malta Past and 

 Present. " 



