Hydrosaurus salvator, Gray, ocellated wat,er lizard, is an inhabitant of the Archipelago, East Indian continent, China, Siam, Ceylon. It is very numerous in hilly and marshy localities of the Malayan Peninsula. It is commonly, during the day, observed in the branches of trees overhang ing rivers, preying upon birds and their eggs and smaller lizards, and when disturbed it throws itself from a considerable height into the water. It will courageously defend itself with teeth and claws and by strokes of the tail. Low =tea in India dig them out of their burrows on the banks of rivers, their flesh being greatly relished. Some attain to nearly 7 feet in length.
The fifth family comprises the Skinks, or Scin cidte. The species of this family are exceedingly numerous, and inhabit almost every part of the tropical regions, some extending into the. tem perate zones. They are thoroughly land luards, preferring dry ground, and hiding themselves in the sand, under stones, etc. None of them enter the water. They do not attain any considerable size.
Euprepes Chinensis. This is one of the most common and most widely-spread lizards of the East Indies. It occurs in almost every part of the continent as well as of the Archipelago, from Afghanistan to China and the Philippine Islands ; it is even said to inhabit the Sandwict Island& It is not found beyond an elevation of 8000 feet, Cantor says that it is exceedingly numerous in the hills and valleys of the Malayan countries. They may be seen basking in the sun, in bamboo hedges, or on trees ; and they fearlessly enter houses in pursuit of insects, in which they dis play great agility. The female deposits 6 to 12 yellowish-white, oval, cylindrical eggs, half an inch in length.
The eighth family are the Geckos, or Geckotidm. The limbs are stout, of moderate length, with at least four of the toes well developed. They are found in almost every part between and near the tropics, frequenting houses, rocks, and trees ; and some of the species are so numerous around and within human dwellings, that they are most familiar objects to the inhabitants. All the Indian species, with the exception of Eublepharis, are able to run up and along the surface of a wall or of any other perpendicular object, the lower surface of their toes being provided with a series of moveable plates or discs, by the aid of which they adhere to the surface over which they pass.
No gecko has imbricate scales on the back. The geckos do not attain to any considerable size, the largest species being from 10 to 14 inches lona. They are carnivorous animals, destroying insect3, moths, and even the younger and weaker metnbers of their own species. Geckos have even been seen devouring their own tail. They are of fierce habits, fighting between themselves, particularly when one has caught a larger insect than he is able to swallow at once. They make a spring at their victim. Their greediness has developed some intellectual faculties in the house geckos ; accustomed to be fed at a certain time with rice, etc., these little lizards will punctually make their appearance, and fearles.sly take proffered food. Another peculiarity of the geckos is that they are endowed with voice. In Gecko guttatus it is a shrill cry, sounding like to-kee ; ' in Gecko monarchus it resembles the monosyllable tok,' repeated six or eight times with increased celerity ; in Hemidactylus frmnatus it is a sharp, quick call, like chic, chic, chit,' etc. They have several vernacular names in hnitation of these sounds, as Too - kai, To - kee, Cheecha, Gokee, Keko, Gecko.
Gecko monarchus, Gray, Lizards, p. 161, pos sesses the povver of changing its ground colour in a greater degree than any other gecko. It is very numerous at Penang, swarming at night in rooms. They are pugnacious among them selves, two or more sometimes fighting for an insect.
Ptychozoon hornalocephalum, the flying gecko, attains to a length of 7 inches, of which the tail takes one-half. It is found chiefly in Java and in a few other islands of the Eastern Archi pelago. Penang, Singapore, and the island of Eamree appear to be the only other places where it has hitherto been found in India. The expan sions of the skin have the same purpose as the wings of the dragons and of the flying squirrels. In leaping, these membranes are expanded by the pressim of the air from below, and act`as a para chute. When the gecko is at rest, they' are kept in close contact with the body by muscles attached to their interior surface. Like other geckos, they have in some degree the power of changing the ground colour from a darker to a lighter shade.