22 Claw-headed Snake. REPTILES. Thick-tongued Lizards. 
would venture to approach the tank any more. It 
heads, and thus was not only doubly poisonous, but if 
was impossible to convince those who believed this, 
he seized it near one head the other would turn up and 
by any reasonable means ; so, sending for his head- 
bite him. A glass of rum on the spot, and more pro- 
cook named Yahndee, who was a celebi'ated snake- 
mised when the feat was performed, reanimated Yahn- 
killer, the governor offered him a handsome reward if 
dee’s courage ; be wrapped a cloth round his naked 
he would capture the animal. Yahndee shook his 
arm, and brought the reputed monster out in triumph. 
head, and muttered something about the fetish, upon 
A closer examination proved that, instead of two heads. 
which the governor offered him a present for the fetish. 
there was, in common parlance, no head at all ; both 
This altered the case ; and the priests and their deity 
extremities being alike, with the exception of a small 
propitiated, Yahndee opened the tank, and the enor- 
orifice, and a closing valve at one of the ends. It was 
mous serpent turned out to be about a foot and a half 
never dissected, but was put into spirits, and was pre- 
long, and he was going to seize it by the head, when 
sented by Mr. Bowdich to the British Museum.” This 
he suddenly recoiled with horror, and declared he could 
species is still in the collection, and has been described 
not touch it. On being questioned, he said it had two 
as Bowdich’s claw-headed snake (0. punctata). 
Sub-Order II.— THICK 
-TONGUED LIZAKDS. 
The Thick-tongued Lizards are divided into three 
and form a row quite round the jaw. Their mouth is 
tribes — the Nocturnal Lizards, (Nyctisaura ) ; the Cone- 
large ; and as the under jaw is articulated behind the 
tailed Lizards {Strohilosaurd ) ; and the Tree Lizards 
cranium like the crocodiles, it permits a wide separa- 
(Dendrosaura ) ; so named from their habits in life, and 
tion of the jaws, which the animals have the power of 
the structure of the scales of the tail. 
keeping open for a length of time. In consequence of 
this structure, also, they possess the faculty of closing 
Tkibe I.— NYCTISAURA.'^- 
the entrance to the back part of the throat, by applying 
the base of the tongue to a hollow formed on the pos- 
In the first tribe, or Nocturnal Lizards, the eyes 
terior part of the palate, while the jaws remain widely 
have circular eyelids, which cannot close and open ; 
separate, and the mouth broadly gaping. The inside 
the pupil is narrow and vertical, and contracts in a 
of their capacious gullet is strongly coloured ; some- 
strong light. The scales of the belly are small, of a 
times with bright orange or yellow, and at others with 
rhombic form, and imbricated ; the head is without 
a rich black. Their eyes are large, and of a green 
plates, and naked, or covered merely with granules. 
colour ; and the eyelids being very short and united 
The feet are formed for walking on the ground, or 
into one, only leaving a broad opening through which 
on flat substances. 
we see moving a nictitating membrane, gives them a 
peculiar appearance. These peculiarities of structure 
Family— GECKOTIDAE. 
are admirably adapted to their manners and habits 
of living. They are nocturnal animals, and thus their 
There is only one family in this tribe, the Geckos 
eyes are constructed so as to enable them to discern 
{Geckotidoi), the species of which are natives of both 
with facility objects in the obscurity of the night. 
the Old and New Worlds. The Geckos never attain 
The pupil enjoys a degree of mobility, similar to that 
a large size. They have in general a large flat head. 
possessed by nocturnal birds of prey, and other animals 
a narrow neck, and a depressed, squat body, which is 
which seek their food at night. They can dilate it to 
sometimes fringed on the sides. Their legs are short, 
a considerable extent when they require to collect the 
stout, wide apart, and the toes are all nearly of equal 
rays of light, and are able to contract it to the dimen- 
lengtli. These are generally broad, flattened beneath. 
sions of only a narrow slit, when the eyes are likely to 
and furnished with scales or plates laid one over the 
be injured by two bright a glare. 
e ther, like the tiles of a house. The skin is apparently 
Their food consists of insects, caterpillars, &c., and 
naked on the upper parts of the body, being only 
these they procure by entrapping them, or pursuing 
roughened with granules, giving it a shagreened look. 
them into obscure holes and cavities. The construe- 
The tail is scarcely as long as the body, and is gener- 
tion of their feet enables them to do this effectually. 
ally covered with small granular scales like those of 
The imbricated plates with which they are furnished 
the body. It is very brittle, is easily broken off, and 
on the under surface, act like suckers, and enable these 
when reproduced, h.as the scales small, square, uniform. 
animals to adhere firmly to the surface of even the 
and placed in a cross series, which give it a different 
smoothest bodies, permitting them to run with the 
appearance from the normal state, and must be taken 
greatest celerity in all directions, to traverse ceilings. 
into account in describing the species. The tongue is 
or suspend themselves on the under side of a leaf, 
short, broad, fleshy, and not extensile, but is free at its 
while they watch the movements of their prey. Their 
extremity, which is rounded and slightly nicked. Their 
toes, armed with hooked claws which are sharp and 
teeth are very small, close set one against the other. 
retractile like those of a cat, give them the power of 
From tlie two Greek words, nyx (vi/J), niRht, and saura 
climbing trees with perfect facility, of penetrating the 
a lizard. 
cavities and clefts of rocks, and of ascending steep 
