SAURIA. 37 



a white band on the shoulder; tail so fleshy that the apophyses 

 of its crest cannot be perceived; a foot long. 

 Others again have a round tail, or one that is merely a little com- 

 pressed. 



Their species are numerous, and have been partly confounded 

 under the names of Roquet, Goitreux, Rouge-gorge, and Mnolis, 

 ^-Lac. strumosa and bullaris, L. They inhabit the hot parts of 

 America and the Antilles, and change colour with astonishing 

 facility, particularly in hot weather. When angry, their dewlap 

 becomes inflated and as red as a cherry. These animals are 

 not so large as the Grey Lizard of Europe, and feed on insects 

 which they actively pursue; it is said that whenever two of them 

 meet, a furious combat inevitably ensues. 



The species of the Antilles, or the Roquet of Lacep. I, pi. 

 xxvii, which is more particularly the Lac. bullaris, Gm., has a 

 short muzzle speckled with brown, and salient eye-lids; its 

 usual colour is greenish. Its round tail excepted, it closely re- 

 sembles the Lac. bimaculata. The Mnolis raye, Daud. IV, 

 xlviii, 1, only differs from it in a series of black lines on the 

 flank. It seems to be identical with the Lac. strumosa, L. Seb. 

 II, XX, 4, and is somewhat longer than the preceding species. 



The Carolina knolls, Jguane goitreux, Brongn. Catesb. I, 

 Ixvi, is of a fine golden green; a black band on the temple and 

 a long and flattened muzzle give it a peculiar physiognomy 

 and render it a very distinct species.(l) 



It is to this family of the IguansB with palatine teeth, that be- 

 longs an enormous fossil reptile known by the name of the 

 Maestricht Animal, and for which the new name of Mosasau- 

 Rus has recently been coined. (2) 



(1) Add the Molls d points blancs, Daud- IV, xlviii, 2; An. viridis, Pr. Max. lib. 

 VI; An. gracilis. Id. and several other species, of which, unfortunately, I have no 

 figures to cite. 



(2) See Oss. foss. Vol. V, part. II. 



Many large reptiles have been discovered in a fossil state, which it appears 

 should be approximated to this family, but their characters are not sufficiently 

 known to enable us to class them with precision. Such are the Geosaurds discOT 

 vered by Sremmering, the Mebalosaurus of M. Buckland, the Iguaxodon of M. 

 Mantell, &c. See Oss. Foss. ut sup. 



