70 
popular name of the family. The colour of the wall gecko is veor 
variable, being sometimes straw-coloured with darkei blotches, and 
often dark brown with hlackish marks. When alarmed these cieatures 
are able to break off their tails, but whether they are shot off inten- 
tionally, or merely knocked off against some object in their hurried 
flight, is not properly known. The tail, however, grows again in 
about a season, but this one is smooth, not rough and belted like the 
old one. If our illustrations be consulted it will be observed that 
from the tip of the tail to almost the root it is smooth, but just above 
this part it is clearly marked in sharp pointed belted sections. The 
smooth tail is the reproduced one. The original tail was to the tip 
like the portion seen just above the smooth part. Wa'l geckos live 
very well in cap.ivity, where they tr..ay be fed on almost any kind of 
insect life. They bask most of the day time, sleeping in the hottest 
sunshine, but towards evening come out to feed (6 to 8 inches). 
Red-throated Anolis.— This is one of the commonest lizards oi 
the West Indies. Its chief interest lies in the fact that it has an even 
greater power of changing colour than the chamarleon. It is, 
according to some writers, common everywhere it exists at all. This 
creature lives among the branches of trees, where it is tolerably safe 
from its enemies, on account of its colour harmonising so well with 
the foliage. It may be kept in captivity with other hardy lizards, 
and treated in the same way (lo to 12 inches). 
The Chamaeleon Anolis comes from Cuba, and is very similar 
to the preceding species, but larger. Its colour is anything between 
black and pea-green. 'I he lower jaw is furnished with an extendable 
pouch, which the animal widely distends when alarmed. With 
pouch displayed this creature looks truly dangerous, and it is thought 
that this dodge is supposed to strike terror into the heart of its would 
be tormentors, and cause their hun.ed departure. In captivity 
“black beetles” seem to be its favourite “dish " (ij to 2 feet). 
The Horned Lizard, sometimes called the C.alifornian Toad on 
account of its toad like appearance, is an inhabitant of the dry sandy 
portions of Mexico and Central America. There it spends its time 
lying on bare patches basking in the scorching sun. Its food, whit h 
is usually taken at dusk, consists of slow moving sand beetles. The 
creature is of a dull brown colour, blotched with a darker tint of the 
same hue, and is therefore not easily seen as it lies motionless on 
.stony ground. If however it be disturbed, from an orifice below the 
eye it .squirts a jet of its own blood at the intruder. This method of 
self-protection 18 very curious, and possibly the enemy, on seeing 
blood flow on its own body imagines it has been wounded by the 
formidable spines, and immediately considers discretion the belter 
p.art of valour (4 to 6 inches). 
The Common Scheltopusik, though very .snake-like, is 
unmistakably a lizard. Scheltopusiks, lllindworm.s, and a few others 
are so much like .serpents that a few notes on the separation of legless 
lizards from snakes would possibly be interesting. All but a very few 
snakes have immovable eyelids. Those of the limbless liz.ards are 
peifeclly movable. The tongue of a snake is quite different from 
that of a lizard. In the former it is like two equal pieces of string 
.sewn together for half their lengths with the free portions separated 
into a fork. In the latter it is like a tape with a deep V-shaped 
piece cut out of one end. liesides the snake is furnished wltn a 
notch in the lower jaw which enables it to put out its tongue without 
separating the jaws. A lizard has to open its mouth to protrude 
