248 



THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



This occurs towards the end of March or 

 early in April. On its first appearance it is 

 far from being the active, nimble little crea- 

 ture that darts swift as light through the 

 heather and trefoil, but more resembles at 

 this time the lethargic newt. As the season 

 advances, however, and the sun shines with 

 greater power, the lizard seems vivified by 

 the heat, and jerks and darts about its haunts 

 with marvellous quickness. 



The habits of the lizard are simple enough. 

 Its retreat is usually a small hole at the roots 

 of trees and bushes, or beneath felled trees, 

 or heaps of stones, from which in fine sunny 

 weather it issues forth. In dull, chilly, or 

 windy weather it is seldom or never seen, but 

 is at the height of its activity and enjoyment 

 in the hot days of July and August. In the 

 capture of its prey, which consists of gnats, 

 flies, spiders, small moths, caterpillars, &c , 

 it displays great adroitness, either snapping 

 at them while flying or springing upon them 

 tiger fashion. If the insect seized is large, 

 it will often give it a deliberate shake as a 

 terrier does a rat. The favourite hunting 

 grounds of the lizard are on felled tree trunks 

 and heaps of stones. Here in the hot days 

 of summer it may often be observed, resting 

 quietly, watching with glittering eye the buzz- 

 ing insects constantly settling in its vicinity. 

 I have often seen them in small companies, 

 basking in the sun on the trunks, sometimes 

 accompanied with a brood of young ones. 

 Having caught a spider or a fly the little 

 reptile proceeds to lick its lips with great 

 deliberation and apparent enjoyment. Though 

 the lizard captures its prey so adroitly, yet it 

 is by no means easy of capture itself, its 

 wariness and almost marvellous agility sett- 

 ing clumsier foes at defiance. The very make 

 of the creature proves this, its form being a 

 perfect model of lightness and activity. And 

 even when by some dexterous movement the 

 lizard is captured, it will, in nine cases out 

 of ten, be found to be in an incomplete state, 

 indeed to be absolutely tail-less. The crea- 



ture voluntarily parts with its caudal append- 

 age when suddenly seized, or otherwise 

 alarmed, the member snapping off as if made 

 of glass. But the lizard does not remain thus 

 tail-less for any great length of time, for in 

 the course of a couple of months a new tail 

 begins to make its appearance, and this in 

 rather a curious fashion. In Science Gossip, 

 Vol. ii. page 45, Mr. J. E. Robson, when 

 speaking of a lizard which had recently lost 

 its tail, says — •* The wound seemed to scar 

 over, a dark scaly knob eventually appearing, 

 this quickly became pointed and continued to 

 elongate, the curious thing being that the 

 small end seemed to grow first." Seeing that 

 another specimen in his posession began to 

 grow another tail exactly in the same way, 

 viz., the small end first, we should therefore 

 naturally conclude that all produce tails in 

 the same curious fashion. The tail thus re- 

 newed is never so well shaped and perfect as 

 the original. If the tail should happen to be 

 lost at the approach of wintar, it will not 

 begin growing again till the following spring ; 

 if, on the contrary, it is parted with in the 

 early summer, it is usually complete again in 

 three or four months. A specimen of this 

 lizard was once caught on a heath near Lon- 

 don, which was better off than the majority 

 of its fellows, being provided with a couple of 

 tails; a similar instance occured near Col- 

 Chester. 



In common with most other reptiles, the 

 lizard often changes its skin. This is a 

 work of time, as the skin generally comes off 

 bit by bit, and it is a common occurrence to 

 meet with lizards having quite a ragged 

 appearance, from scraps of their " cast-offs " 

 hanging about them. The reptile is much 

 brighter in colour after the change. 



Though the lizard is by most people 

 accounted poisonous, yet it is one of the 

 most inoffensive little creatures living. It is 

 singular how prone the majority of the people 

 are to surround a poor animal with a halo of 

 fanciful superstition. The lizard has nothing 



