IGUANAS. 97 



of the West Indies, a lizard about the size of our 

 own smallest species. I was in the habit of feed- 

 ing them with flies and other insects, and having 

 one day placed in the cage with them a very large 

 garden spider, Epeira diadema, one of the lizards 

 darted at it, but seized it only by the leg. The 

 spider instantly ran round and round the creature's 

 mouth, weaving a very thick web round both 

 jaws, and then gave it a severe bite in the lip, 

 just as this species of spider usually does with any 

 large insect which it has taken. The lizard was 

 greatly distressed, and I removed the spider, and 

 rubbed off the web, the confinement of which 

 appeared to give it great annoyance ; but in a 

 few days it died, though previously in as perfect, 

 health as its companion, which lived for a long 

 time afterwards." * 



Genus Iguana (Laur.). 



' To this genus, which is very restricted in ex- 

 tent, belong the largest species of the Family, and 

 almost of the Order. They are marked by a 

 prolongation of the skin, which stretching under 

 the whole surface of the head and neck, forms 

 a very thin, but very deep dewlap or pouch, the 

 border of which describes a curve, and is set 

 along its front edge with spinous processes like 

 the teeth of a saw. The skin is irregularly 

 folded on the sides of this dewlap, behind which 

 there is another transverse fold passing obliquely 

 over each shoulder. On the sides of the neck 

 and body, also, the skin has a tendency to form 

 loose folds. The head is rather large, and has 



* " Britisli. Reptiles." Intr. xx. 



H 



