KARROO BEASTS, BIRDS AND REPTILES. 257 



from one isolated tuft of bush to another, as if running 

 for their little lives. In strong contrast to these bright, 

 active creatures of the sunshine are the slow-moving, 

 pallid-complexioued house-lizards which are so un- 

 pleasantly common. There are few things uglier than 

 one of these hikes. With his flat, round toes, serving 

 the purpose of suckers whereby he is enabled to retain 

 his foothold as he perches, fly-like, on the ceilings, his 

 low, criminal type of face, brightened by none of the 

 quaint, antediluvian air of wisdom which redeems the 

 chameleon's honest ugliness, and with his general un- 

 healthy and uncanny appearance, it is no wonder that 

 among the ignorant natives he has the reputation of 

 being as venomous as he looks, and that from one end 

 of the country to the other he is more dreaded than 

 any snake. Yet it is somewhat puzzling to think how 

 he can inflict a poisonous bite, when, on looking into 

 his mouth, you perceive that he has no teeth. 



An object of even more superstitious dread is that 

 mysterious and deadly creature — half-quadruped, half- 

 reptile, and certainly altogether fabulous — the so-called 

 dassie-adder. Throughout the whole country you hear 

 accounts of this strange animal from Boers, Kaffirs, 

 and Hottentots ; many of the coloured race declare 

 that they have seen it, and, though some laugh at the 

 tale, the belief in it is evidently very general. The 

 anterior portion of the mythical creature's body is 

 supposed to be that of a dassie, or rock-rabbit (the 

 coney of Scripture), to which are joined, in somewhat 

 mermaid-like fashion, the thick body and blunt tail of 



