The Gakkiques.- 



-EEPTILES.- 



-Shield Lizards. 



15 



steep surfaces of these slopes, with great rapidity. It 

 I'eeils upon small insects." 



THE GAURIQTTES (Psaminodronms Edicanhii) is a 

 s|ieciL'S coninion in tlie south of Franco and Spain. 

 iMi^es, in mentioning the habits of this animal, says, 

 that it is found in the environs of IVIontpellier, m the 

 sterile, mountainous districts called by the inhabitants 

 " garrigues," and that it is also very common in the tiat 

 sandy shores of the Mediterranean. There it hollows 

 out, at the loot of a tuft of rushes, a shallow, cylindrical 

 hole, towards which it darts with the rapidity of an 

 arrow, at the approach of danger. The rapidity of its 

 Hight is so great, that it almost escapes the sight, and 

 might cause it to be taken for some large insect flying 

 close to the ground. 



THE EKEMIAS, or AnGUTAS {Erenmis), are for the 

 most part natives of South Africa. Sir Andrew Smitli, 

 in his '• Illustrations of South African Zoology," has 

 described eiglit or nine species found in the neighbour- 

 hood of the Cape of Good Hope and other parts of 

 tlie colony. He tells us that they inhabit arid, sandy 

 Hats, and that they are wild, extremely watchful, and 

 move from place to place with great rapidity. When 

 frightened, they conceal themselves under loose stones, 

 decayed wood, or any other material beneath which 



they can creep. They may be often seen dining the 

 day, enjoyhig the heat of the sun, and occasionally 

 darting upon insects which form their food. Tliey vary 

 in size from about iive inches to seven or eight ; the 

 tail generally measuring about twice the length of the 

 body. 



THE COEDYLES {Zomiriih')* I'orni a tolerably numer- 

 ous family. They are very like the Tine Lixards just 

 deicribed, but the back and belly are covered with 

 large, nearly square shields, and the sides, which are 

 only dilated when the animal has eaten a full meal, ar.' 

 marked with a distinct longitudinal fold, and covered 

 with small scales. The tongue is flat, and nicked at 

 the tip. They have generally four pretty strong legs, 

 but ui some they are either rudimentary or entirely 

 wanting. Eighteen distinct genera are enumerated by 

 Dr. Gray in the British Museum Catalogue of Lizards, 

 tlie chief characters being taken from the form and 

 disposition of the scales of the head and body. Several 

 species are natives of South Africa, and have been 

 described at some length by Sir Andrew Smith. 



THE SHIELDED ZONTJEE (Zniiiini.i catap/irachi.-^) 

 — fig. 5— and THE FALSE CORDYLE {Psiiidomirhiliis 

 microlcpidotiis) are found inhabiting rocky situations, 

 and when they have a choice, they invariably prefer 



The Shielded Zonure (Zonurus cataphractus). 



precipices and the stony walls of difficultly acces- 

 sible ravines. In these situations, they wander 

 carelessly in search of food and warmth, unless 

 alarmed by what they may regard as enemies. On 

 being closely approached in their retreats, they seek 

 concealment under rocks or in crevices ; and when 

 they get into such positions they are with difficulty 

 captured, as by aid of the prominences on the hinder- 

 edge of each temple, they hold on with a tenacity 

 which is quite surprizing, and by them they occasionally 

 ofllr such an eflectual resistance to the force applied 

 from behind, that the tail breaks off from the liody 

 before the rejitile is secured. Indeed, to efVect their 

 capture, it is often nece^^sary to displace the masses of 

 stones between which the creatures may have hisinu- 



ated themselves. Some of the species, as the Kongh- 

 scaled Cordyle {Zonurus cordylus), are very widely 

 distributed over Southern Afiica, and, as Sir A. Smith 

 informs us, " there is scarcely a strong knoll, a pre- 

 cipice, or an exposed rock, which does not aflbrd a 

 habitat for one, two, or more individuals." Tliey vary 

 from six to eighteen inches in length, the tail being 

 generally longer than the body, and spined. 



THE SHIELD LIZARDS ((nrrlws<niri)-\ are allied 

 species, but the tail is smooth instead of being spiny. 

 They are found in sandy arid districts in South Africa. 



two Greek words. 





From tl» 

 ;i tail. 

 1 ir'rom the two Greek words, 

 mitros (ra^fos), a lizard. 



r.ona (jo-yr,), n band, and oma 

 ijcrroii (/sj;«»), a shield, and 



