THE LIZARDS 133 



as in a natural state it is decidedly arboreal. Placed 

 on the ground, however, it runs at such speed as to look 

 like a mere streak — then it stops so suddenly the human 

 eye is bewildered, and the reptile seems to mysteriously 

 disappear. It often adopts different tactics, rushing 

 away on its hind legs, not hopping, but running with 

 amazing swiftness and with the body at an angle as if 

 about to take a hurdle. 



Though the various species of Basilisks have often 

 been described as "strictly herbivorous," the writer has 

 found all his specimens — representing two species — to 

 be quite insectivorous. They are fond of meal worms 

 and caterpillars. An occasional individual could be in- 

 duced to eat small berries and flowers, though not when 

 the insect larva? were in sight. 



Among the females of the four species the crests on 

 the head are reduced to mere rudiments. This is also 

 the case with young male examples. 



Liocephalus is made up of over seventeen species 

 abundantly represented in tropical South America and 

 the West Indies. All are of moderate size. The body 

 is covered with coarse, rather bristling scales and there 

 is usually a low, crest-like row of enlarged scales on the 

 back. The species are both terrestrial or arboreal; they 

 are very active. Most of them are strictly insectivorous. 

 L. carinatus is common in Cuba. It reaches the length 

 of a foot. With this species the crest is reduced to a 

 mere serration. 



Uraniscodon is another South American genus, con- 

 taining but two species. The scales are very minute. 

 There is a row of enlarged scales on the back. The 

 species have quite a stout body and a very long, slender 

 tail. They attain a length of sixteen inches. U. plica 

 inhabits northern South America, Trinidad and the 



