Notes on an alleged species of poisonous Lizard, fyc. 375 



motions of both parties. No sooner was the lizard favoured 

 with the company of his unexpected visitor, than they two be- 

 gan to fight most desperately. I leave it to others to say why 

 these two, who had never met in their lives before, should 

 commence their acquaintanceship in a manner that threat- 

 ened to prove fatal to one of the parties. Perhaps it may 

 be regarded as an apt illustration of strong and active pre- 

 judice, or hatred at first sight. Be that as it may, it seemed 

 as if they had predetermined to devour, or to be devoured. 

 The combat, however, was but short and indecisive, though 

 extremely spirited. A not uncommon result of a quarrel 

 was also observable here, for both parties left off by mutual 

 consent, each { went his ain gait' — or in other words, quietly 

 took up his position on one side of the glass house, nor 

 evinced afterwards the slightest desire to renew the combat, 

 in which it is proper to state, that the lizard was the offensive 

 and mouse the defensive party ; though as the battle thick- 

 ened, it was impossible to say which was plaintiff or defen- 

 dant. After leaving them together for half an hour I with- 

 drew the mouse by means of a string fastened to one of his 

 legs, and kept him for about seven hours, when not the 

 slightest ill consequence following the combat, I let the 

 little hero loose again. If this lizard then is to be regarded 

 as a Biscopra, it is plain that the bite of the creature is 

 not fatal even to so insignificant a being as a mouse. I 

 believe that the lizard in question, as well as the one I re- 

 ceived from Meerut, was a young Goshamp. I kept the 

 former alive for many months, feeding it on cockroaches, 

 which it always seized by the head, swallowing it rather slowly 

 as a Boa constrictor bolts his prey. He would devour four 

 or five of them at a time, and then stop till he felt hungry 

 again. At length after growing considerably larger than he 

 was when I first received him, the lizard died, perhaps from 

 want of sufficient exercise. One of my native friends to 

 whom I shewed it called it Godhoree (pronounced Gedree), 



