THE EYED PALLETTE-TIP. 285 



frame, one or two of these little harmless creatures, 

 beneath the sash we have lifted ; their minute dimen- 

 sions enabling them to insinuate themselves into 

 situations where we should suppose they would 

 inevitably be crushed to death. The frequency of 

 its occurrence has made the species familiar to the 

 sight of the inhabitants, and it is viewed with no 

 more dread or dislike than we feel for the flies that 

 alight on our window-panes and buzz in the corners. 

 Though it bustles about with much contortion, its 

 speed is small, so that it is very readily caught. Yet 

 on being held in the hand, it writhes so perti- 

 naciously as frequently to slip through the fingers : 

 and so violent are its actions, that though held by 

 the middle or fore parts of the body, I have known it 

 twist its tail absolutely off, spontaneously, in these 

 contortions. Such a circumstance strikingly proves 

 how slight is the tenacity both of bone and muscle in 

 the tail of Saurian reptiles, and in that of the Geck- 

 otidcB in particular. This member, so readily sepa- 

 rated, turns and twists about, of its own accord, and 

 continues to roll over and over, for some minutes 

 after its dissolution of partnership with its body. 



The tongue in the Geckos is large and fleshy ; and 

 all our species have the habit of protruding it to lick 

 the lips and face, just as a cow does : in the present 

 little species this is an action very frequently per- 

 formed, and the tongue is thrust out to such a degree, 

 that even the eyes are wiped by it. 



Another of its actions reminds one of a cat ; an 

 animal to which the Geckos have been compared, 

 on account of their retractile claws, and the pupil 



