The gecko is a kind of nocturnal lizard.  Its eyes are large, and the pupil is extremely contractile.  It hides itself during the day, and is lively only at nights.  It haunts rooms, especially kitchens, in Egypt, where it finds the insects which form its ordinary food.  Its feet constitute its most marked characteristic.  The five toes are enlarged and furnished with an apparatus of folds, which, by some peculiar action, enable it to adhere to perfectly smooth surfaces, to ascend perpendicular walls, cross ceilings, or hang suspended for hours on the under side of leaves.  The Egyptians called it the abu burs, or “father of leprosy,” and there is a wide-spread belief in its poisonous character; but modern naturalists incline to regard the belief as unfounded, and to place the gecko among reptiles which are absolutely harmless. [PLATE XXVIII., Fig. 1.]

[Illustration:  PLATE XXVIII.]

The asp of Egypt (Coluber haje) is a species of cobra.  It is a large snake, varying from three to six feet in length, and is extremely venomous.  It haunts gardens, where it is of great use, feeding on mice, frogs, and various small reptiles.  It has the power of greatly dilating the skin of the neck, and this it does when angered in a way that is very remarkable.  Though naturally irritable, it is easily tamed; and the serpent-charmers of the East make it the object of their art more often than any other species. [PLATE XXVIII., Fig. 2.] After extracting the fangs or burning out the poison-bag with a red-hot iron, the charmer trains the animal by the shrill sounds of a small flute, and it is soon perfectly docile.

The cerastes is also employed occasionally by the snake-charmers.  It has two long and thin excrescences above the eyes, whereto the name of “horns” has been given:  they stand erect, leaning a little backwards; no naturalist has as yet discovered their use.  The cerastes is of a very pale brown color, and is spotted with large, unequal, and irregularly-placed spots.  Its bite is exceedingly dangerous, since it possesses a virulent poison; and, being in the habit of nearly burying itself in the sand, which is of the same color with itself, it is the more difficult of avoidance.  Its size also favors its escaping notice, since in length it rarely much exceeds a foot. [PLATE XXVIII., Fig. 3.]

The chameleon has in all ages attracted the attention of mankind.  It is found in Egypt, and in many others parts of Africa, in Georgia, and in India.  The power of changing color which it possesses is not really its most remarkable characteristic.  Far more worthy of notice are its slow pace, extraordinary form, awkward movements, vivacity, and control of eye, and marvellous rapidity of tongue.  It is the most grotesque of reptiles.  With protruding and telescopic eyes, that move at will in the most opposite directions, with an ungainly head, a cold, dry, strange-looking skin, and a prehensile tail, the creature slowly steals along a branch or twig,