132 Stejneger A New Species of Large Iguana. 



not remarkably close, and altogether the new form may be easily identi 

 fied by the characters pointed out in the diagnosis. 



Field notes by Mr. Riley. This species is very common on two small 

 keys in the large salt-water lake on Watlings Island, but is very rarely 

 found on the main part of the island, probably caused by the large num 

 ber of cats that are said to be running wild. The iguanas must have 

 reached the keys by swimming. The large key is locally known as 

 Iguana Cay. It is several hundred yards long and fifteen or twenty 

 broad. Mangroves grow around the shore, but the center is covered 

 with a large cactus tree. The key, of course, is nothing but coral rock. 

 The ground under the cactus is bare and here most of the iguanas are 

 found. They have a habit of running very swiftly and then suddenly 

 stopping, unless very much frightened when they go into holes in the 

 rock, with which their domain is abundantly supplied. They have a 

 lumbering gait that carries them over the ground very rapidly. They 

 also climb trees to some extent, and one of those shot was about five feet 

 up in a mangrove. Two of the females opened were heavy with eggs, 

 one of them containing five, about the size of turtle eggs. 



