ORDER SAURIA. 141 



and have the feet middling, and the toes nearly 

 equal. Their walk is heavy and creeping. Their 

 eyes are very large, and the pupil contracts from the 

 influence of light like that of the cats. This consti- 

 tutes them nocturnal animals, and during daylight 

 they remain in obscure places. Their eye-lids, re- 

 markably short, are withdrawn between the eye and 

 the orbit, which gives to their physiognomy a dif- 

 ferent aspect from that of the other saurians. Their 

 tongue is fleshy and not extensible, and their tym- 

 panum a little sunk in. Their jaws are furnished 

 all round with a range of very small crowded 

 teeth. Their palate is destitute of teeth. Their 

 skin shagreened above with very small grained 

 scales, among which are often observed some thicker 

 tubercles ; has, underneath, some scales less small, 

 flat, and imbricated. Some species have pores upon 

 the thighs. The tail has circular folds, like that of 

 the anolis ; but when it has been broken, it shoots 

 again without folds, and even without tubercles, 

 when it has them naturally, which has caused the 

 species sometimes to be multiplied. 



This genus is numerous, and spread through the 

 warm regions of both continents. The gloomy and 

 heavy aspect of the geckos, and a certain resemblance 

 to the salamanders and toads, has caused them to be 

 held in abhorrence, and accused of being poisonous, 

 but without any real proof of the fact. 



The majority of them have the toes widened, over 

 all or apart of their length, and furnished underneath 



