350 ' PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1747. 



commonly done in their retiring places, where we can seldom get a sight of 

 them ; nor should we indeed know that their skins are changed at all, did we 

 not often find the skins they have cast off. But from this little lizard, \\hich 

 Mr. B. has more than once carefully attended during the whole operation, a 

 reasonable guess may be formed as to most other kiiuls; and as it is a creature 

 easy to procure, may be kept in a jar of water for many months, and the in- 

 tervals between the periods are so short, for they shed their skins every 2 or 3 

 weeks, it is in every one's power to see with his own eyes what is here described. 



A day or two before the skin is to be changed, the animal appears more slug- 

 gish than usual, takes no notice of the worms you give it, which at other times 

 it devours greedily ; the skin in some places appears loose from the body, and its 

 colour not so lively as it did before ; and thus it continues till the great work of 

 putting off the old skin is to be performed. It begins this operation by loosening 

 with its fore feet the skin about its jaws, which, when open, are wider than any 

 part of its own body, and pushes it backward gently and gradually both above 

 and below the head, till it is able to slip out first one leg, and then the other; 

 which when it has done, it proceeds to thrust the skin backward as far as these 

 legs can reach ; it is then obliged to rub its body against pebbles, gravel, or 

 whatever else it can meet with, till more than half its body is freed from the 

 skin, which appears doubled back, and covering the hinder part of the body and 

 the tail. When the business is thus far done, the animal, turning its head 

 round to meet its tail, takes hold of the skin with its mouth, and setting its feet 

 on it, by degrees pulls it quite off, the hind legs being drawn out as the fore 

 ones were before. 



If the skin be then examined, it will be found with its inside outwards, but 

 not having the least hole or breach ; that part which covered the hind legs seem- 

 ing like gloves that are turned without pulling out the tips of the fingers, though 

 entirely perfect and unbroken. The coverings of the fore legs remain within the 

 skin. They do not however put off the coverings of their eyes along with the 

 skin, as some snakes are found to do ; for the skin of this little creature has al- 

 ways two holes at the places where the eyes have been. 



This operation sometimes takes up near half an hour, after which it appears 

 full of life and vigour, as well as very sleek and beautiful. 



When the skin is come off, if it be not taken away soon, it is very common 

 for the creature to swallow it whole, as it does all its other food ; and if it 

 take it in by the head-part first, as frequently is the case, the tail-part, being 

 filled with air and water, becomes like a blown bladder, and proves so unman- 

 nageable that it is very diverting to see the pains it costs to discharge the air and 

 water, and reduce it to a fit condition to be got down its throat. 



