148 Transactions. — Zoology. 



account of some young lizards (4,) that were brought forth in 

 my house, two of which I succeeded in rearing. At that time, 

 however, I knew nothing of the manner of their being brought 

 forth or expelled by their parent (as I have pretty fully related 

 m that paper) ; and now, having very recently gleaned a few 

 moi-e particulars respecting the same,. which may prove both 

 interesting and curious, and perhaps unique, I propose to bring 

 the same before you in this paper. 



Early in this year, 1886, I received fi-om Mr. J. Stewart, of 

 Takapau (a member of this Society,) a fine specimen of our 

 green lizard, in good condition and very lively. I suspected at 

 the time it was a female, and probably pregnant. Mr. Stewart 

 informed me that it had been very recently captured — viz., on 

 the 29th December, 1885. It was some time, however, before 

 I could get it to eat, although I supplied it with flies, much as 

 I did my former ones. In time it ate them, but sparingly ; and 

 although I often watched it, I never once detected it doing so, 

 or seeking to capture them ! in this respect so very different to 

 those I formerly had. Yet it ate them, that was certain, with- 

 out leaving a wing or a leg, for they were not to be found in its 

 house (or glass case), out of which they could not possibly get ; 

 and the faeces of the reptile further proved it. It also differed 

 widely from my former ones in not drinking ; for, although I 

 often tried to induce it to drink, it never once took any water, 

 while the others were fi'equently lapping water, and lickmg wet 

 spots on leaves, etc. ; and I did not keep any water with this 

 lizard in its house. It would, however, swim very well and 

 strongly when I put it into a large basin of water. As the 

 weather became colder in this present autumn — in May — it 

 ceased taking any flies, and I had supposed it was about to 

 hibernate, as the others did ; so I set it aside, but kept looking 

 at it occasionally. The last time that I did so, on the 8th of 

 June, it seemed much as usual, only thinner from its long 

 fasting, and not torpid, but rather lively. I therefore gave 

 it a couple of flies, which, however, it would not eat. On my 

 looking at it again on the following day, the 9th of June, I 

 found that it had given birth to two young ones — curious-looking 

 little things and fully formed, but both dead. The following 

 is a description of them : — 



They were both nearly alike, in size, shape, appearance, 

 colour and weight ; each one distinct, lying separate in the case, 

 and closely enwrapped in its own proper semi-transparent 

 chorion or secundine, which was entire around one, and slightly 

 broken about the snout of the other below its eyes, so that the 

 front part of its little head appeared. Each was closely doubled 

 up — one with its tail coiled tightly around its snout, and the 

 other with its tail bent round and downwards beneath its chin ; 

 their shape was broadly oblong, one end much rounded, and 



