THE GECKO. 
259 
substances — even on steel. The Gecko is almost en- 
tirely covered with little warts, more or less rising ; 
the under part of the thighs is furnished with a row 
of tubercles, raised and grooved ; the feet are remark- 
able for oval scales, more or less hollowed in the mid- 
dle, as large as the under surface of the toes them- 
selves, and regularly disposed one over another, like 
the slates on the roof of a house. The tail of the 
Gecko is commonly rather longer than the body, 
though sometimes not so long ; it is round, thin, and 
covered with rings or circular bands, formed of several 
rows of very small scales. The colour of the Gecko is 
a clear green, spotted with brilliant red. The name 
Gecko imitates the cry of this animal, which is heard 
especially before rain. It is found in Egypt, in India, 
at Amboyna, and the Moluccas. It inhabits by 
choice the crevices of half-rotten trees, as well as 
humid places. It is sometimes met with in houses, 
where it occasions great alarm, and where every ex- 
ertion is used to destroy it speedily. Bontius writes 
that its bite is so venemous that, if the part bitten 
is not cut away or burned, death ensues in a few 
hours.” 
The following is the account of Bontius : — “ This 
creature, which is not only found in Brazil, but also in 
the isle of Java, belonging to the East Indies, and which 
by our people is called Gekko, from its constant cry, 
is properly an Indian salamander. It is about a foot 
long ; its skin is of a pale or sea-green colour, with 
red spots. The head is not unlike that of a tortoise, 
with a straight mouth. The .eyes are very large, 
starting out of the head, with long and small eye- 
