THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE 



411 



of their numbers, than by stating that when we were left at 

 James Island, we could not for some time find a spot free 

 from their burrows on which to pitch our single tent. Like 

 their brothers the sea-kind, they are ugly animals, of a yellow- 

 ish orange beneath, and of a brownish red colour above: 

 from their low facial angle they have a singularly stupid 

 appearance. They are, perhaps, of a rather less size than the 

 marine species; but several of them weighed between ten and 

 fifteen pounds. In their movements they are lazy and half 

 torpid. When not frightened, they slowly crawl along with 

 their tails and bellies dragging on the ground. They often 

 stop, and doze for a minute or two, with closed eyes and hind 

 legs spread out on the parched soil. 



They inhabit burrows, which they sometimes make between 

 fragments of lava, but more generally on level patches of the 

 soft sandstone-like tuff. The holes do not appear to be very 

 deep, and they enter the ground at a small angle; so that 

 when walking over these lizard-warrens, the soil is constantly 

 giving way, much to the annoyance of the tired walker. This 

 animal, when making its burrow, works alternately the oppo- 

 site sides of its body. One front leg for a short time 

 scratches up the soil, and throws it towards the hind foot, 

 which is well placed so as to heave it beyond the mouth of 

 the hole. That side of the body being tired, the other takes 

 up the task, and so on alternately. I watched one for a long 

 time, till half its body was buried ; I then walked up and pulled 

 it by the tail; at this it was greatly astonished, and soon 

 shuffled up to see what was the matter; and then stared me 

 in the face, as much as to say, "What made you pull my 

 tail?" 



They feed by day, and do not wander far from their bur- 

 rows ; if frightened, they rush to them with a most awkward 

 gait. Except when running down hill, they cannot move 

 very fast, apparently from the lateral position of their legs. 

 They are not at all timorous : when attentively watching any 

 one, they curl their tails, and, raising themselves on their 

 front legs, nod their heads vertically, with a quick movement, 

 and try to look very fierce ; but in reality they are not at all 

 so: if one just stamps on the ground, down go their tails, 

 and off they shuffle as quickly as they can. I have frequently 



