MALTA AND SICILY. 
95 
ther kind of lizard, (Scincus - ) nearly 
torpid, under large stones. They are very 
smooth and shining, like a blindworm, and 
the colour is light brown, with darker spots. 
We have captured only one snake, which is 
very like our own species, but he wants the 
beautiful yellow collar round the neck, 
which is so great an ornament to our English 
snake. 
Lizard shooting is really an amusing sport, 
and without the assistance of the blow-pipe 
we should have found great difficulty in 
procuring specimens of these beautiful little 
animals. And though the game is small , the 
instrument and the ammunition used in this 
novel sport are very simple and inexpensive, 
so that the means are not disproportioned to 
the end obtained. In this respect the amuse¬ 
ment I have described is more rational than 
our favourite sport of snipe shooting. For 
