SLOW WORM 237 



meat ! I number among my friends, too, a nature 

 lover who v>^ould think nothing of facing a Bull, 

 but who for the life of him would refuse to handle 

 a harmless Lizard! The mention of the latter 

 reminds me that the Slow or Blind Worn is fre- 

 quently mistaken for a Snake, whereas it is a 

 legless Lizard, and completes the three upon the 

 British list. Why it is called Slow and Blind I 

 have long failed to contemplate, for it is not 

 altogether slow, and it most certainly is not 

 blind! Although, at first sight, the reptile may 

 strike the observer as decidedly Snake-like in 

 outward appearance, on examination rudimen- 

 tary traces of feet may be noticed beneath the 

 skin. It will also be observed by those who will 

 take the trouble to study the Slow Worm that it 

 possesses movable eyelids which at once distin- 

 guish it from the Snakes, and it may be that this 

 accounts in a way for the name of Blind Worm. 

 It attains a length of about fifteen inches, but ten 

 inches may be given as the average. The colour 

 is metallic red or grey upon the back; the belly is 

 dirty white or somewhat darker. 



The head is small, and if a specimen can be 

 located and studied closely it will be seen that the 

 tongue is not forked as in the Snakes, but notched. 

 The food of this animal is made up of Snails and 

 Worms. The slough is cast by this legless Lizard 

 in the same manner as carried out by Snakes, 



