THE COMMON IGUANA. 75 



Both the scientific names of the Leaf -tailed Gecko refer to the singular formation of its 

 tail, the one signifying Leaf -tail, and the other Broad-tail. The head of this reptile is very 

 broad at the base, very sharp at the snout, and the skin adheres so closely to the bone as to 

 exhibit the form of the skull through its substance. The toes are long, slender, and rather 

 compressed. Along the sides runs a fold of skin, very slight, but sufficiently conspicuous. 

 The tail is very thin and leaf-like ; along the edge runs a series of spiny scales, and its surface 

 is covered with rather long conical tubercles arranged in cross rows. The color is brown, and 

 a number of little spiny tubercles are scattered over the back. 



In taking leave of the Geckos, we must cast a hasty glance at their feet. In many of their 

 movements the Geckos bear a curious likeness to the common fly, and when one of these rep- 

 tiles is seen gliding along a perpendicular wall with noiseless step, or clinging with perfect ease 

 to an overhanging beam, quite regardless of the fact that it is hanging with its back down- 

 wards, the resemblance is irresistible. And on inspecting the foot and its structure, the 

 resemblance which this member bears in many species to the well-known foot of the fly, is 

 remarkably close and worthy of attention. 



STROBILOSAURA. 



WE now arrive at an important tribe of Lizards, called by the name of Strobilosaura, a 

 title derived from two Greek words, one signifying a fir-cone and the other a lizard, and given 

 to these creatures because the scales that cover their tails are set in regular whorls, and bear 

 some resemblance to the projecting scales of the fir-cone. In all these reptiles the tongue is 

 thick, short, and very slightly nicked at the tip. The eyes have circular pupils, and are 

 formed for day use. 



THE first family of these Lizards consists of those creatures which are grouped together 

 under the general title of IGUANA. This word is. employed extremely loosely, as the name of 

 Iguana is applied to many species of Lizards, such as the monitors and the varans, which in 

 reality have little in common with the true Iguanas. These reptiles can mostly be dis- 

 tinguished from the rest of the tribe by the formation of their teeth, which are round at the 

 roots, swollen and rather compressed at the tip, and notched on the edge. There are gener- 

 ally some teeth on the palate. All the true Iguanas inhabit the New World. As the family 

 of Iguanas is extremely large, and contains more than fifty .genera, we can only examine a 

 few of the most interesting species, the first of which is the COMMON IGUANA. 



This conspicuous, and in spite of its rather repulsive shape, really handsome Lizard, is a 

 native of Brazil, Cayenne, the Bahamas, and neighboring localities, and was at one time very 

 common in Jamaica, from which, however, it seems to be in process of gradual extirpation. 



In common with those members of the family which have their body rather compressed, 

 and covered with squared scales, the Iguana is a percher on trees, living almost wholly among 

 the branches, to which it clings with its powerful feet, and on which it finds the greater part 

 of its food. It is almost always to be found on the trees that are in the vicinity of water, and 

 especially favors those that grow upon the banks of a river, where the branches overhang the 

 stream. 



Though not one of the aquatic Lizards, the Iguana is quite at home in the water, and if 

 alarmed, will often plunge into the stream, and either dive or swim rapidly away. While 

 swimming, it lays its fore legs against the sides, so as to afford the smallest possible resistance 

 to the water, stretches out its hinder legs, and by a rapid serpentine movement of its long and 

 flexible tail, passes swiftly through the waves. It has considerable power of enduring immer- 

 sion, as indeed is the case with nearly all reptiles, and has been known to remain under water 

 for an entire hour, and at the end of that time to emerge in perfect vigor. 



From the aspect of this long-tailed, dewlapped, scaly, spiny Lizard, most persons would 

 rather "recoil than feel attracted, and the idea of eating the flesh of so repulsive a creature 

 would not be likely to occur to them. Yet in truth, the flesh of the Iguana is justly reckoned 



