THE COMMON GECKO, OR RINGED GECKO. 71 



probability, namely, that two women and a girl were lying at the point of death from 

 Living eaten some cheese over which one of these reptiles had walked. 



So great is the dread inspired by this creature, that in Cairo it is popularly termed 

 Abou-burs, or father of the leprosy. The people fancy that it purposely poisons their 

 provisions, and that it is especially fond of communicating the venom to salted meat of 

 all kinds. In former times the Fan-foot was endowed with even greater powers of 

 offence, its teeth being added to its weapons, and asserted to be capable of leaving 

 their impression even on steel, though in point of fact, the jaws of the Geckos are rather 

 feeble, and their teeth very small, and hardly able to pierce even the human skin. 



The Geckos are indebted for their power of traversing perpendicular walls to the 

 formation of their feet, which, although greatly varied in the different genera, have the 



COMMON GECKO.-Gedto verus. 



FAN -FOOT. Ptyodactylus Gecko. 



same essential qualities in all. In this genus the toes are expanded at their extremities, 

 into a round disc, and furnished with claws which are sheathed in a notch cut in the 

 front of the disc. The color of the Fan-foot is reddish brown spotted with white. 



THE COMMON GECKO, or RINGED GECKO, is an Asiatic species, being as common in 

 India as the preceding species in North Africa. It may be easily known from the fan- 

 foot by the large tubercles upon the back. 



This reptile has much the same habits as the fan-foot, and possesses equally the 

 ability to run over a perpendicular wall. During the day-time it conceals itself in some 

 chink or dark crevice, but in the evening it leaves its retreat, moving rapidly and with 

 such perfectly silent tread that the ignorant natives may well be excused for classing 

 it among supernatural beings. The Gecko occasionally utters a curious cry, which 



