36 REPTILIA. 



Opl. torquatus, Cuv. (The Black-collared Grey Quetzpaleo.) 

 A black half collar on each side of the neck. From Brazil. 



Anolius, Cuv.(l) 



In addition to all the peculiarities of form of the Iguana, and par- 

 ticularly of the Polychrus, these animals have a very peculiar and 

 distinctive character: the skin of their toes is spread out under the 

 antepenultimate phalanx into an oval disk transversely striated be- 

 neath, which assists them to attach themselves to various surfaces, 

 to which, independently of this, they cling with great pertinacity by 

 means of their nails, which are very much hooked. Their body and 

 tail, moreover, are uniformly roughened with small scales, and most 

 of them have a dewlap under the throat, which under the excitement 

 of passion becomes inflated and changes colour. Several enjoy the 

 faculty of changing the colour of their skin, to an equal degree with 

 the Chameleon. Their ribs form entire circles like those of the 

 Polychrus and Cameleon. Their teeth are trenchant and denticulate, 

 as in Polychrus and Iguana, and they are even found in the pa- 

 late. The skin of their tail is doubled into slight folds or depres- 

 sions, each of which contains some circular rows of scales. This 

 genus appears to be peculiar to America. 



The tail of some is ornamented with a crest supported by the spi- 

 nous apophyses of the vertebrae, as in Istiurus and Basiliscus.(2) 



M7i. velifer, Nob. (The Great Crested Anolis.) A foot long; 

 a crest on the tail occupying half its length, supported by from 

 twelve to fifteen rays; the dewlap extends under the belly. Its 

 colour is a blackish ash-blue. From Jamaica and the other 

 Antilles. We have found berries in its stomach. 



Lac. bimaculata, Sparm. (The Little Crested Anolis.) Half 

 the size of the preceding; the same crest; greenish, dotted with 

 brown about the muzzle and on the flanks. From North Ame- 

 rica and several of the Antilles. 

 ^n. equestrisy Merr. Fawn-colour, shaded with an ashy lilac; 



(1) Anoli, Anoalli, the name of these Saurians in the Antilles; Gronovius, \ery 

 gratuitously, has applied it to the Amdva. Fiochefort, from whose work it was 

 taken, only gives a copy of tlie Teyuguagu ofMarcgrave, or the Great Sauvegarde 

 of Guiana. Nicholson seems to assert that this name is applied to several species, 

 and the one he describes appears to be the Jn. roquet, which, in fact, was sent to 

 the Museum from Martinique under the name of Jlnolis. MM. de Tonnes has 

 even ascertained that it is the only one by which it is now known. 



(2 They have been confounded with each other, and with some of the following 

 ones, under the names of Lac. principalis and himaculata. 



