164 
LIZARDS. 
course, not to the same extent. During an excursion to the islet of Filfla, on the 
southern coast of Malta, in the month of June, I was surprised to find that all the 
lizards on the rock were of a beautiful bronze-black, and so much tamer than their 
agile brethren on the mainland. Many individuals were so tame that they 
scrambled about our feet, and fed on the refuse of our luncheon.” Whereas in the 
Southern Tyrol these lizards remain active till December, and reappear by the 
ALGERIAN KEELED LIZARDS (f Uat. size). 
middle of February, in Germany their winter sleep is considerably longer. Like 
its congeners, this species has an exceedingly brittle tail; and it was observed 
some years that on a certain road in Madeira all the lizards belonging to a nearly 
allied species (L . clugesi ) were without tails. The circumstance was explained 
by the spot being the favourite resort of the midshipmen landing from the ships 
visiting the island, who amused themselves by knocking off the lizards’ tails. 
v _. The members of the genus Lacerta, as we have seen, are 
K66i6d. Lizards. , 
characterised by the presence of a well-marked collar on the neck, by 
