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LETTERS FROM 
when exposed to a strong light. But though 
this animal appears to our eyes ugly and 
almost deformed from the flatness of his 
body and the position of his legs, yet these 
very peculiarities of form are most admirably 
adapted to his mode of life, his usual retreat 
being a narrow crevice in a wall or rock. He 
is a powerful and fierce-looking animal, and 
I have no doubt that he preys upon the 
smaller lizards, which he may very easily do, 
for though no longer, he is very much stouter 
and stronger than they are, and his mouth 
is so large, that he might swallow them whole. 
I have been informed, upon good authority, 
that a gentleman in this island had a canary- 
bird killed by an unusually large wood-slave, 
which climbed up the wall to an open win¬ 
dow, and squeezed his flat body between the 
wires of the cage. 
I 
We have found several specimens of ano- 
