86 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
[N. ZOOL. GAL. 
small and polished. They come from the warmer parts of both hemi¬ 
spheres. Some have distinct and strong legs, and others rudimentary 
ones; as the blind worms, w 7 hich have the bones of the legs hid under the 
skin; they are all quite innocent. In the low T er part of the Case are 
the Aprasia, Pygopi , Delmce and Lialisidce, or different kinds of blind 
worms from Australia, and the Acontia from the Cape of Good Hope. 
Case 6. The Geckos, or night lizards, which have the power of 
walking up glass, or even to run with facility back dowmwards on the 
ceiling of a room, like a fly. They come from the warm parts of both 
hemispheres, and differ greatly in the form of their toes; some have the 
skin of the sides spread out to assist them when jumping from tree to 
tree. In the lower part are the various lizards allied to the Guanas. 
They are only found in America, andUve on trees; are very quarrelsome, 
and often fight with great ardour wdien they meet; they have the 
faculty of changing their colour with great quickness. The Anoles 
have the end of their toes dilated, which enables them to walk on 
smooth and perpendicular surfaces, like the Geckos. 
Case 7. The different genera allied to Agama. They are only 
found in the w ; armer parts of the Old World and Australia; as the Mo¬ 
lochs , which are almost entirely covered wdth large spines; the Dragons 
of India, which have the skin of their sides spread out into the form of 
wings, held up by the ends of the ribs; when at rest these wings are folded 
together on the sides, but w T hen it leaps from branch to branch they are 
spread out and act as a parachute; the frilled agama ( Chlamydosaurus ), 
which has a large folded frill round its neck like a queen Elizabeth’s 
ruff, which it can elevate when excited. The lower shelves contain 
the different kinds of chameleons, which are found in Africa and 
India, and the islands near them; they have been long celebrated on 
account of the rapidity with which they change their colours; atid 
they are remarkable for the distance to which they can protrude the 
tongue in order to catch insects, which form their principal food. 
Cases 8—19. The Snakes or Serpents. t 
They differ from the lizard in always swallowing their food entire. 
Case 8. The Poisonous Serpents. 
In the upper shelves are placed the Rattle-snakes peculiar to 
America, which have a rattle at the end of the tail; this rattle is formed 
of a series of horny joints, fitting one into the other, which the animal 
can shake at pleasure; there are several detached rattles, to shew their 
structure; the fer de lance of the French colonists in South America, 
and the different kinds of poisonous snakes allied to the rattle-snake 
wdiich come from India. The lower shelves contain the Vipers; as 
the adders of Europe, the long-nosed viper ( Ammodytes ) of Southern 
Europe ; the crested or double-horned viper of Egypt and North 
Africa; the nosehora viper of Guinea, and the puff "adder or short¬ 
tailed viper of the Cape of Good Hope and Western Africa. The 
viper is the only reptile found in Great Britain possessed of dangerous 
poisonous qualities. 
Cases 9—19. The Harmless Snakes. 
Cases 9—17. The genera allied to Coluber; as the water snakes 
( Tropidonotus ) and the common ring snake of England; the coral snake 
