REPTILES 



225 



ranges over most of Africa (fig. 140). The food consists of small 

 vertebrates and various kinds of eggs, including those of the 

 crocodile. The name Monitor embodies an erroneous idea that 

 this creature hisses in a peculiar way when a crocodile ap- 

 proaches, and so gives a " warning " of its presence. 



8. What may perhaps be called the Common Lizards 

 (Lacertidse) include some 100 species, distributed over Europe, 

 Africa, and Asia. The Sand Lizard {Lacerta agilis) of Britain 

 is one example, and the only other British member of the 

 grder (except the Blind- Worm), the Common Lizard (Zootoca 

 vivipard), is another. Among the larger and handsomer 

 forms may be noted the Green Lizard {Lacerta viridis), 

 ranging from Portugal to Persia, and found abundantly as far 

 north as Germany, and the Wall Lizard {Lacerta muralis), 

 which is specially characteristic of the countries bordering the 

 Mediterranean. 



9. The Skinks, or Burrowing Lizards, constitute a family 

 of which the distribution is world-wide. The Common Skink 

 (Scincus officinalis), found on 

 both sides of the Red Sea 

 and on the north side of the 

 Sahara, suggests in appear- 

 ance a fish mounted on legs. 

 The shape and smoothness 

 of the scales are apparently 

 features related to the bur- 

 rowing habit, and the animal 

 also possesses the useful 

 power of seeing with its eyes 

 shut, for the lower eyelid is 

 provided with a transparent 



\- 



area which answers the pur- Fig. 141.— Snake-eyed Lizard (AUei'harus pannonicus) 



pose of a window. 



The European Snake-eyed Lizard {Ablepharus pannonicus) 

 (fig. 141) of South-east Europe and parts of South-west Asia 

 is a slender creature with very small five-toed limbs. 



The Three-toed Bronze Lizard {Chalcides tridactylus) of Italy, 

 Sicily, Sardinia, and the opposite part of Africa, is snake-like in 

 form, with small reduced limbs. From Roman times to the present 

 day it has been groundlessly regarded as extremely venomous. 



Vol. I. 



15 



