t 53 1 ] 
Winter-Time they are feldom or never feen, and 
therefore may be fuppofed to retire into Holes, and 
lie torpid there, as Frogs, Snakes, and many other 
Creatures do. 
Having feveral Times kept thefe Animals for many 
Months together in Glafs Jars, and watched them 
very attentively from Day to Day, I am able to fpeak 
with much Certainty as to the wonderful Manner of 
their putting off their Skins without making the 
lead Hole or Breach therein $ a Circumdance which has 
occafioned me to give you the Trouble of this Paper. 
It has long been known, that mod of the Serpent- 
Kind put off, or, as we commonly term it, cad their 
Skins at certain periodical Times 5 tho' we are very 
little acquainted with the Manner of their perform- 
ing this Work, fince it is commonly done in their 
retiring Places, where we can feldom get a Sight of 
them 5 nor fhould we indeed know that their Skins 
are changed at all, did we not often find the Skins 
they have cad off. But from this little Lizard, which 
I have more than once carefully attended during the 
whole Operation, a reafonable Guefs may be formed 
as to mod other Kinds ; and as it is a Creature eafy 
to procure, may be kept in a Jar of Water for many 
Months, and the Intervals between the Periods are 
fo fhort (for they died their Skins every Fortnight or 
three Weeks), it is in every Body's Power to fee 
with his own Eyes what I am now going to deferibe. 
A Day or two before the Skin is to be changed, 
the Animal appears more fluggifh than ufual, takes 
no notice of the Worms you give it, which at other 
times it devours greedily j the Skin in fome Places 
appears loofe from the Body, and its Colour not fo 
Zzz lively 
