Page:British Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fresh-water Fishes.djvu/41

WALL LIZARD from its hiberniatng quarters during mild weather in Winter. The members of the Family Lacertidæ, or True Lizards, are most common in Africa, but they have a wide distribution in various parts of the Old World, and frequent Northern lands where one would hardly expect to find creatures of this nature eking out an existence. Being so difficult to study at close quarters in their own haunts, much remains to be discovered concerning these useful, harmless, and active little reptiles. Fortunately they take more or less kindly to

captivity, and soon regard their owners with familiarity. They may thus be highly recommended as suitable pets for a Vivarium, and if careful observation is kept and notes made, the young reptile student is quite likely to be able to assist in helping to unravel some of the unsolved mysteries still surrounding them. {nop}} 25