426 THE GECKO. 
masses of rotten wood ; and on heathery soils, where the ground slopes con- 
siderably, it selects a spot where it will be well sheltered from the winter's 
rains and snows, and burrows deeply into the dry loose soil. 
Like the snakes, the Blindworm casts its skin at regular intervals, seeming 
to effect its object in various modes, sometimes pulling it off in pieces, but 
usually stripping it away, like the snakes, by turning it inside out, just as an 
eel is skinned. 
A NEW group now comes before our notice, the members of which are 
distinguished by the formation of their tongues, which, instead of being flat 
and comparatively slender, as in the preceding Lizards, are thick, convex, and 
have a slight nick at the end. On account of this structure, the species of 
this sub order are termed PACHYGLOSS&, or Thick-tongued Lizards. 
These reptiles are divided into sundry groups, the first of which is termed 
the NycTisaurRa, or Nocturnal Lizards. These creatures have eyes formed 
for seeing in the dusk ; cir- 
cular eyelids, which, how- 
ever, cannot meet over the 
eyeball, and in almost every 
case the pupil is a long nar- 
} row slit like that of the cat. 
The body is always flattened. 
The limbs are four in num- 
ber, tolerably powerful, and 
are used in progression, 
OF these Lizards, the first 
family is the GECKOTIDA, 
or GECKOS, a very curious 
group of reptiles, common 
in many hot countries, and 
looked upon with dread or 
adoration by the natives, 
: sometimes with both, where 
GECKO. —(Gecho verus.) the genius of the nation 
leads them to reverence the 
object of their fears, and to form no other conception of supreme power than 
the capability of doing harm. . de . ; 
The CoMMON GECKO, or RINGED GECKO, is an Asiatic species, being as 
common in India as the preceding species in North Africa. It may be 
easily known from allied Fan-foot by the large tubercles upon the back. 
This reptile has much the same habits as the fan-foot, and possesses 
equally the ability to run over a perpendicular wall. During the day-time it 
conceals itself in some chink or dark crevice, but in the evening it leaves its 
retreat, moving rapidly and with such perfectly silent tread, that the ignorant 
natives may well be excused for classing it among supernatural beings, The 
Gecko occasionally utters a curious cry, which has been compared to that 
peculiar clucking sound employed by riders to stimulate their horses, and in 
some species the cry is very distinct and said to resemble the word “ Geck-o, 
the last syllable being given smartly and sharply. On account of this cry, 
the Geckos are variously called Spitters, Postilions, and Claquers. 
During the cold months of the year the Geckos retire to winter quarters, 
and are thought to retain their condition during this foodless season by 
means of two fatty masses at the base of the abdomen, which are supposed 
to nourish them as the camel is nourished by the hump. The male is smaller 
than the female, and the eggs are very spherical, and covered with a brittle 
chalky shell, The colour of the Gecko is reddish grey with white spots. 
