Z0U NATURAL HISTORY, 
that live in verdant places. They are found in all warm 
countries except Australia and the Polynesian Islands. 
Some are natives, also, of temperate climates, passing the 
winter in a torpid state. The common Lizard, Fig. 162, 
Fig. 162.—Common Lizard. 
is only about six inches long. In all the animals of this 
family the tail is exceedingly brittle, snapping off like 
glass even with a slight touch. It grows out again, how- 
ever, and if the tail be cracked without being broken off, 
anew tail will spring from the crack, so that the animal 
will have thus a forked tail. 
329. In the family of Snake Lizards we find a series of 
forms, in which we see a gradual transition from the or- 
der of Lizards to that of Serpents. In some of these an- 
imals there are four feet, as seen in Fig. 163, the Snake 
Lizard of the South of Africa. Others have but two feet. 
eo am are — 
tly ss rr; nye ; 
Fig. 163.—Snake Lizard. 
Others still have nothing but the mere rudiments of feet 
concealed in the skin. Of this latter kind is the Blind- 
worm or Slow-worm. This animal, which is about a foot 
in length, is as brittle as the tail of the true Lizards. The 
