ORDER SAURIA. 229 



melancholy aspect, and their resemblance to toads and salaman- 

 ders have caused them to be hated and feared, and have pre- 

 vented naturalists from confounding them with other saurians. 

 The geckos are found in South America, in Africa, and in 

 the Indies. Naturalists have divided them into many fami- 

 lies. We shall consider the most interesting species, without 

 much attention to order. 



The Smooth Gecko, Gecko Levis, is so called because 

 the skin is covered with a multitude of very small scales, 

 which render it smooth, and, as it were, satiny, and which 

 are rather more distinct and rounded under the belly and 

 tail. The tail, as is mentioned in the text, is easily broken, 

 and shoots forth again in the form of a little root, or radish. 

 It inhabits Surinam. 



The Geitje {Lacerta Geitje, Sparman) has no claws at all, 

 no more than many others of the platydactyli. This gecko 

 inhabits the Cape of Good Hope, where it is regarded as being 

 exceedingly venomous. We are, in fact, assured, that its 

 bite produces a terrible kind of leprosy, which invariably 

 terminates in death, and that its effects do not become mani- 

 fest until about the end of a year, or six months at soonest. 

 Nevertheless, Sparman tells us, in his voyage to the Cape of 

 Good Hope, that though this animal is frequently seen in 

 spring near Goree river, and in other places, the maladies 

 caused by its bite are not frequently spoken of. 



The inhabitants assured the Swedish traveller, that near 

 Sitsikamma, this animal nestles usually in the empty shells 

 of the huUa achatina. 



The tail of this reptile will detach itself, and fall at the 

 slightest shock. Its motions are slow. 



The Wall Gecko {Lacertus Facetatus, Aldrovandi) is a 

 most hideous reptile. It conceals itself in holes of walls, and 

 heaps of stones, covering its body with dust and ordure. It 

 inhabits all around the Mediterranean sea, even as far as Pro- 

 vence and Languedoc, where it is common, according to Olivier. 



