DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11636#0401
AND LOWER EGYPT. 367
leaves there, as on snow, the vestiges of its track.
The varieties of these impressions produce a pleas-
ing effect, in spots where the saddened soul expects
to meet with nothing but symptoms of the pro-
scriptions of nature. It is impossible to see any
thing more beautiful than the traces of the passage
of a species of very small lizards extremely common
in these deserts. The extremity of their tail forms
regular sinuosities, in the middle of two rows of
delineations, also regularly imprinted by their four
feet, with their five slender toes. These traces
are multiplied and interwoven near the subterra-
nean retreats of these little animals, and present a
singular assemblage which is not void of beauty.
I am going (o describe one of the principal cha-
racters of these lizards; they have, in reality, five
toes on every foot; those of the two hinder feet
are considerably longer than those of the fore, and
they are all armed with nails. The eyes are very
large relatively to the dimensions of the body; the
tail is round, and terminates in a slender point.
The scales of the upper part of the head are broad,
and of an irregular form; those on the upper
part of the body, the thighs, and the legs, are
semicircular and very small: those underneath
the body are oblong; those of the belly have the
form of lozenges placed horizontally; the tail is
covered circularly with fillets of scales, like a
mutilated
leaves there, as on snow, the vestiges of its track.
The varieties of these impressions produce a pleas-
ing effect, in spots where the saddened soul expects
to meet with nothing but symptoms of the pro-
scriptions of nature. It is impossible to see any
thing more beautiful than the traces of the passage
of a species of very small lizards extremely common
in these deserts. The extremity of their tail forms
regular sinuosities, in the middle of two rows of
delineations, also regularly imprinted by their four
feet, with their five slender toes. These traces
are multiplied and interwoven near the subterra-
nean retreats of these little animals, and present a
singular assemblage which is not void of beauty.
I am going (o describe one of the principal cha-
racters of these lizards; they have, in reality, five
toes on every foot; those of the two hinder feet
are considerably longer than those of the fore, and
they are all armed with nails. The eyes are very
large relatively to the dimensions of the body; the
tail is round, and terminates in a slender point.
The scales of the upper part of the head are broad,
and of an irregular form; those on the upper
part of the body, the thighs, and the legs, are
semicircular and very small: those underneath
the body are oblong; those of the belly have the
form of lozenges placed horizontally; the tail is
covered circularly with fillets of scales, like a
mutilated