12 Lizards. REPTILES. Si.endeu-tongued Lizards. 
the sides, and this structure prevents them from sink- 
ing into the sand. This adaptation of structure to 
their particular habits of life, forms a good character 
for -dividing this family into two groups, the smooth- 
toed lizards, and the rough-toed lizards. 
Lizards are remarkable amongst Reptiles, for the 
agility of their movements. Any one who has noticed 
these animals, must have observed with what rapidity 
they dart from one point to another, and how they can 
cling to walls and rocks by means of their long and 
crooked claws. In intertropical countries, however, 
they are much more nimble and more active in their 
habits than in our temperate climes; for here, as soon 
as the cold weather commences; their motions become 
slower and slower, and they finish in winter by fall- 
ing into a complete state of lethargy. Lizards in 
general are very gentle, timid creatures. Children 
in Europe make playthings of them, and the ancients 
used to call the lizard “ the friend of man.” They 
have, however, a considerable degree of courage, and 
notwithstanding the gentleness of their natural man- 
ners, they w'ill bite pretty severely when laid hold of. 
Some species, as the “eyed lizard,” have even been 
known to show figlit to dogs and serpents, and though 
not often conquerors in such combats, to have inflicted 
severe wounds upon their enemies. Their bite is not 
poisonous, as was for a length of time believed; but 
still, from their teeth being placed in a series of rows, 
and thus acting as a sort of saw, it is often very sharp 
and severe. Their strength and courage depend much 
iijioii the temperature. Under the trojiics they are 
hold, some rather dangerous, and of considerable size. 
In more northern countries they are timid, because they 
are weak and of small size. But they are not stupidlj'- 
timid, as those who have watched them in their native 
haunts have explained to us. Should a slight noise 
strike upon its ear, or an unaccustomed object suddenly 
come in view, the little lizard previously, perhaps, 
lying basking in the rays of the sun, may be seen to 
raise itself immediately ujion its feet, to draw back its 
head, and in that attitude carefull}' watch everything 
around it. A leaf may have suddenly fallen to the 
ground, it starts, watches the object for a time to see 
whetlier it will move again, then carefully advancing 
nearer and nearer, examines it well, and satisfying 
itself of its nature, returns to its position and lays itself 
down again to enjoy the warmth it loves so much. 
Should the danger be real, however, it flies like 
lightning. Lizards generally live in burrows or holes 
which they dig in the ground or sand, often a foot or 
more in depth, or in the hollows of rocks, or in crevices 
of old w'alls, choosing always such situations as are 
exposed to the sun. They are not sociable animals, 
and never appear to unite together in numbers, for the 
purposes of attack or defence. The instinct of pro- 
curing food or of increasing their species, alone appear 
to bring them together for even a very short time. 
They feed exclusively upon living prey; insects of 
various kinds, worms, snails, and any small animals 
they meet with. In securing their prey they are very 
cautious. When a lizard wishes to catch an insect, for 
instance, it does not throw itself inconsiderately upon 
it, but it follows attentively all its movements ; remain- 
ing motionless itself with outstretched neck, it waits 
the favourable moment for action ; several times it 
advances and withdraws its head as if to make sure o^ 
its aim, and then all due precautions taken, it darts 
forward the head, at the same time opening wide 
its mouth, in which the poor insect is immediately 
engulfed and held fast by the numerous small teeth 
with which the jralate is furnished. Lizards are also 
accused of eating birds’ eggs, and it is even asserted 
that they will eat their own eggs when pressed-much 
by hunger. They eat seldom, however, and digest 
slowly. Losing little by transpiration, they can endure 
long fasts. It was formerly thought that these animals 
did not drink at all, but that is now ascertained to be 
incorrect, as they lap water in the same way as a dog 
does, wfith their tongue. Though not sociable 'ani- 
mals, lizards live in pairs ; the male and female, it is 
said — more especially of the “ grey lizard of the walls” 
— remaining in a happy state of union during many 
years, sharing the arrangement of the household, the 
care of excluding the young from their numerous eggs, 
of carrying them into the sun, and in placing them hi 
shelter from cold and humidity. With one exception 
{Zooloca vioqmra) they lay eggs, from seven to fourteen 
in number, depositing them in small holes, which the 
female abandons immediately after they are laid, leaving 
them to be hatched by the warmth of the sun. They 
are said to be long lived, and the Abbe Bonnaterre 
relates tliat he had watched for twenty years the same 
lizard daily leave its burrow to come and bask in the 
sun. The tail differs in the two sexes, and this forms 
a characteristic mark ; in the male it being flat, broad, 
and furrowed longitudinally ; and in the female being 
round and narrow. This organ is remarkably brittle, 
and frequently snaps asunder by the mere exertion ot 
the animal attempting to escape from danger. They 
possess the faculty of forming a new one, which, how- 
ever, has only a central cartilage in the place of bones, 
and is often covered with scales different from those of 
the rest of the tail. “ The least touch,” says Mrs. Lee, 
“ makes them fall off, and as long as tails are necessary, 
it is happy for them that Nature has given them the 
power of reproducing their lost member. A super- 
abundance of this power, however, has occasionally 
some awkward results, for if the accident merely crack 
the tail on one side, a new tail will sometimes spring 
from the crack, and thus give them two at a time. On 
a certain road in Madeira, it was observed that all the 
lizards were without tails, and the circumstance was 
accounted for by its being the favourite resort of the 
midshipmen, who landeil for a day’s pleasure from the 
dift'erent ships of war which touched at the island, and 
a part of that pleasure consisted in knocking oft the 
lizards’ tails.” 
SMOOTII-TOED LIZARDS.’" 
THE GREAT GREEN or EYED LIZARD {Lacertn 
ocelluta), represented in Plate 1, fig. 2, and Plate 8, 
fig. 11, is the largest of the family; a native of the 
south of France, Italy, and other southern countries of 
Europe; also met witli in Northern Africa, on the shores 
* The T.ciodacfylesof Puiuenl anrl Bihroii, from the two Greek 
words leios (ae/o?), smooth, and daJctulos (SazniAos), a too. 
