40 
ROOM X. 
Nat. Hist. 
one of the species, Horsfield’s Gecko (Pteropleura 
Horsfieldii) which lives in the ponds in Java, has the 
skin on the side of the chin, body, limbs and tail dilated 
into a kind of fin. 
Many of the species of these Lizards, from their lurid 
appearance, are considered as poisonous by the natives 
of India, and some even assert that they infect every 
substance which they walk over, but this is, at least, 
extremely doubtful. 
Other species have the scales under the toes divided 
by a central groove, into which the claws are retractile 
(Thecadactylus). One of these, the Smooth Sheath- 
claw ( Gecko lesvis ), has many scales under the toes, and 
when the animal is caught, in its exertion to escape it 
often casts off its tail. It does the same if thrown alive 
into spirits, in which case the separated tail contracts, 
and assumes an almost globular shape, and is most 
usually found in this state in collections, whence this 
species has been generally called the Turnip-tail Gecko 
{Gecko rapicauda). The Beautiful Sheath-claw ( Phyllo - 
dactylus pulchellus) has only two or three transverse 
scales on each side of the claws, so that the ends of the 
toes very nearly resemble the tips of the feet of the 
common fly. In another species, the Egyptian Sheath- 
claw {Gecko lobatus ), the scales under the toes radiate 
from a centre, like the sticks of a fan; and the Imbri¬ 
cated Gecko, a species from Madagascar, which has 
the scales under the toes very like the former, has the 
edge of its body and tail dilated into fins. 
Another group {Hemidactylus) has only the base of 
the toes dilated, and the ends compressed and free. 
These are common about dwellings in India, Egypt, 
South America, and other w r arm parts of the world, and 
are therefore usually called House Lizards. Their food 
consists principally of insects, especially flies, for destroy¬ 
ing which they are protected by the inhabitants. 
The last group {Cyrtodactylus) has the form and 
habits of the Gecko, but differs in the toes being very 
thin. 
