LIZARDS. 79 
Though a land Monitor, it frequently lives close to water, and 
feeds upon frogs, snails, rats, and mice. Like those already 
spoken of, when alarmed it rushes hastily to its hole in the 
crevice of a rock, or to a burrow among the roots of some tre:, 
whence it is very difficult to dislodge. Dr. Boulenger describes 
its colour and markings in the following words: ‘‘Greyish brown 
above, with large round yellow dark-edged spots arranged in 
transverse series on the back; a dark temporal streak, extending 
along the side of the neck; tail with alternate brown and 
yellowish annuli; lower surfaces yellowish.” 
The Ocellated, or Two-banded Monitor (V. salvator), already 
referred to, is a native of China, Siam, Ceylon, and the East 
Indian Archipelago. The following is a part of Dr. Giinther’s 
description of this species: ‘‘ Dark brown above, with transverse 
series of round white spots, sncut with three or four white cross- 
bands, a dark-brown streak runs from the eye to the neck, 
throat, and sometimes the belly, with irregular dark-brown trans- 
verse streaks, tail with white rings. All these markings become 
more and more obscure with advancing age, and finally may dis- 
appear entirely.” According to the late Dr. Cantor, also quoted 
by Dr. Giinther, the Two-banded Monitor is ‘‘ very numerous in 
hilly and marshy localities of the Malayan Peninsula. It is com- 
monly, during the day, observed in the branches of trees over- 
hanging rivers, preying upon birds and their eggs and smaller 
Lizards, and when disturbed it throws itself from a considerable 
height into the water; it will courageously defend itself with 
teeth and claws and by strokes of the tail. The lowest castes of 
Hindoos capture these Lizards, commonly by digging them out of 
their burrows on the banks of rivers, for the sake of their flesh, 
which by these people is greatly relished. Some individuals 
attain to nearly 7ft. in length.” 
The Short-toed Monitor (V. flavescens) is, according to Dr. 
Giinther, in colour, greenish or brownish olive, with irregular 
dark markings, which are generally confluent with broad cross- 
bands on the back and tail. This animal is found in Bengal, 
Penang, East Burmah, etc. Mr. Theobald speaks of these animals 
as being difficult, when large, to be obtained by Europeans 
because their flesh is so highly valued by the Burmese and 
