90 
LETTERS FROM 
Burmulo, on the other side of the grand 
harbour, we saw some most beautiful lizards 
of a brilliant green colour. These little ani¬ 
mals were basking in the sun on the old walls 
of the fortifications, but upon the least alarm, 
sometimes even upon a shadow passing over 
them, they darted into the crevices between 
the stones with such wonderful agility, that 
we found it impossible to capture a single 
individual. So we were obliged to content 
ourselves with admiring their brilliant colours 
and graceful movements. But I was deter, 
mined to procure some specimens; and it 
soon occurred to me, that if I could knock 
down birds in England with a pellet of clay 
from a blow-pipe, the lizards in Malta might 
be lulled in the same way. Accordingly, 
the next morning I went in search of a 
tinman, and having fortunately found an 
artist who could speak a little English, after 
