Identifier: lifehistoryofbri00leig (find matches)
Title: The life-history of British lizards and their local distribution in the British Isles
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Leighton, Gerald Rowley, 1868-
Subjects: Lizards -- Great Britain
Publisher: Edinburgh, etc., George A. Morton
Contributing Library: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

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presently joined by a second, and then a third,fourth, and fifth. I watched the motions of these little creatures fornearly an hour, and so interesting and amusing were they that I forgotto observe what became of the bird with the bait in its mouth.Sometimes they would lie motionless, separated from each other by afew yards ; then suddenly one would dart swiftly towards his neigh-bour, who, in turn, Avitli equal agility, would avoid the attack ; thena general darting to and fro, helter-skelter, would occur amongst thelot. Suddenly there was a pause, and all would lie still ; then onewould dart at some insect, secure it, and resume his vigils ; then in amoment all was commotion again, a general darting here and there inall directions. Could not I secure one of these little lizards, thought I.But how was it to be done ? The slightest movement on my partalarmed the whole, and they were all out of sight in an instant. In ashort time they would return and resume their manoeuvres. I thought
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a J < S= a H • T Q = ^ -\ - H ^ >w *■* /^ -V rV >^ <^ ^ N ^ —^ L) ^ o THE COMMON LIZARD, LACERTA VIVIPARA 53 the best way to secure one was to overturn the stones under whichthey had taken shelter. Accordingly I began to turn over first onestone and then another, and after seeking for a considerable time, andturning over several stones under which I felt stire one at least hadtaken shelter, I was compelled to give up the search in despair, with-out getting a glimpse of the animals again. Such is the capacity ofthe lizard for keeping out of sight that it is next to impossible tocapture it when once it gets among rough stones, grass, or heath ; andthe rapidity with which it darts about on a surface of loose sand canonly be likened to the movements of a dragon-fly on a pool of water. Food.—The insects furnish the main food supplyof this species. Fhes of various kinds, blue-bottles,the small blue dragon-flies which abound in July insome places, June bugs,

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