232 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
intervals than the younger ones—though many of them do— 
because another full grown Gecko was observed to change its 
skin two months running and after an interval of three months 
to again cast it two months running. 
Breeding Habits—Though the writer was unsuccessful in 
getting the Geckos to breed in captivity, on two oceasions eggs 
were laid. They were about half an inch long, oval, with a 
tough white integument but not a hard shell. The second egg 
(they apparently only lay two) was laid about a month after 
the first. he eggs were deposited on pieces of wood or bark, 
to which they adhered. The developing eggs can be seen as 
faint white streaks showing through the skin of the ventral sur- 
face of the body, one on each side of the mid line. A few 
particulars regarding the method of catching and of keeping 
Geckos might prove interesting :— 
Capture—The Geckos are caught at night with the aid of 
a strong lantern flashed on the stone walls and rocks. If caught 
quickly with the naked hand they offer little resistance and are 
quite harmless. When disturbed, however, they sometimes put 
up the Scorpion-like tail as though to sting, and run away 
with a little startled cry, something ilke the sound one makes 
when the tongue is pressed against the roof of the mouth and. 
suddenly withdrawn. The Gecko is one of the very few lizards 
with a ery or call of any kind. 
Cages.—These were of the butter box and kerosene case 
type, with front of glass and top or one side of wire gauze, 
The interior was provided with stones arranged so as to give 
the Geckos opportunity to retire from the light in the day 
time; earth coverea the bottom and a vessel of water was pro- 
vided—though they were never seen drinking. Now and again 
a few tufts of growing grass were put in. 
Food.—This proved a great problem, first to find out what 
they would eat, and then to get enotigh of it. All the types of 
food which other lizards sometimes eat in captivity (meat, 
raw and cooked, bread and milk, cooked vegetables, etc.) were 
refused by the Geckos. After trying several kinds of live in- 
sects it was found that the only food they would touch readily 
was live Slaters or Woodlice (Oniscidea), which are often seen 
crawling over rocks at night in the same situations in which the 
Geckos are found. The woodlice were collected at night, with 
the aid of a lantern, being knocked with a little twig into a 
