LIZARDS.

193

Of lizards, there is a great variety in Italy , all harmless,sprightly, pretty animals, hut none good to eat, as is thedelicious Guana, of South America . The largest and mostbeautiful of the Italian kind, is the Ragano. In its youth,it is of a bright green colour, but as it grows older, itchanges to yellow; till at mature age, which is not less thanten years, it becomes of the most intensely brilliant goldenyellow, inclining to orange. I have frequently caught themand they become tame in a very few days, so as to runabout the dinner table, and come to a chirrup, a tap on thetable or plate, or any other sound which has accompaniedthe present of a fly or a bit of ripe fruit. A full grownragano is between two and three feet in length, but unlessthey are actually measured, they would not be thought any| thing like that length, so large a portion of it being takenup by the tail, which tapers off gradually to the fineness ofa thread at the extremity.

Often, while I have been fishing on the banks of the lakeof Astroni, and elsewhere, have I shared my dinner anddessert with these most graceful little animals. At first theywould approach me with great caution, turning up theirjet and gold bright eyes to watch my every movement.A bit of apple or a strawberry, thrown towards them, madethem start, but coming back again, they soon recognisedme for a friend, and a lover of every thing that lives withoutoffending. At last, by cultivating the acquaintance of thesame individuals, I have had them venture between my legs,and on to my plate, and help themselves to what they liked.They would even make love before my face, and sorry am Ito say, they often quarrelled—that is the males,—thefemales, bless them, were meek, placid prizes to the strongand brave. The victor in these little squabbles, alwaysshewed his dexterity and strength, by fairly lifting up thelady in his mouth, and, though as heavy as himself, he

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