GECKONIDAE 



511 



running up and down the papered walls; but we fairly gasp 

 when they come to the upper corner, calmly bend over, and with 

 the next jerk slide along the white-washed ceiling. We are 

 accustomed to flies performing such feats, but at animals five 

 inches long, supple and fat, we are inclined to draw the line. 

 However, that is the way of Geckos, and — be it confessed — the 

 more we ponder over the mechanism of their fingers and toes, 

 the less we comprehend how such little vacua can support or 

 siispend such heavy creatures from a dry and often porous 

 surface. 



Gecko. — The digits are strongly dilated with undivided 

 lamellae. All, except the pollex and hallux, have a very short 

 compressed terminal phalanx with a retractile claw. Males with 

 femoral or pre-anal pores. This Eastern genus includes some of 

 the largest of all Geckos. 



G. stentor of the Malay countries reaches a length of 15 

 inches. G. verticillatus s. verus s. guttatus ranges from Eastern 

 Bengal to China and through the Indian archipelago. It grows 

 to about one foot in length. The head is large ; the back is 

 covered with small granules and about a dozen rows of large 

 tubercles. The tail, when intact, and the belly are covered with 

 scales, those of the tail being arranged in transverse rows, several 

 of which make up distinct rings. The upper parts of the body 

 are grey or yellowish with red spots and vermiculations. Accord- 

 ing to Theobald ^ it lays about eight hard-shelled white eggs as 

 big as a musket-ball, cementing them to trees, rocks, or secluded 

 buildings. The cry is " touk-tay," several times repeated, and 

 ending in a long-drawn out, diminuendo, guttural rumble. This 

 animal does not confine itself to insects, but eats young rats' also. 

 Dr. Mason has seen it devour smaller species of house-lizards, 

 and Theobald has seen it seize a bat flying round the room, and 

 devour it. 



Tennent^ tells the following story about one of these creatures : 

 " In an officer's quarter in the fort of Colombo, a Gecko had 

 been taught to come daily to the dinner-table, and always made 

 its appearance along with the dessert. The family were absent 

 for some months, during which the house underwent extensive 

 repairs, the roof having been raised, the walls stuccoed, and the 



^ r. Mason's Burma, London, 1882. 

 ^ Sketches of the Nat. Hist. 0/ Ceylon, London, 1861. 



