3 24 A VOYAGE TO Book III. 



web, which covers them, and is of the fame form as 

 tbofe oí gceíe, except that the talons at the end of 

 the toes are much longer, and projecSl entirely out of 

 the web or membrane. Its Ikin is covered with a 

 tbin fcale adhering to it, which renders it rough and 

 hard; and, from the crovvn of its head to the begin- 

 ning of its tail, which is generally about half a yard, 

 runs a line of vertical fcales, each fcale being from 

 one to two lines in breadth, and three or four in length, 

 feparated lb as to rcprefent a kind of favv. But from 

 the end of the neck to the root of the tail, the fcales 

 gradually Icfíen, fo as, at the latter part, to be fcarce 

 viiible. Its belly is, in largenefs, very difproportion- 

 able to its body; and its teeth feparated, and very 

 Iharp pointed. On the water it rather walks than 

 Iwims, being iupported by the webs of its feet ; and 

 on that element its fwiftnel's is iuch, as to be out of 

 fight in an inilant ; whereas on the land, though far 

 from moving heavily, its celerity is greatly lets. When 

 pregnant, its belly fwells to an enormous iize ; and in- 

 deed they often lay iixty eggs at a time, each of which 

 is as large as thofe of a pigeon. Thefe arc reckoned 

 a great dainty, not only at Panama, but in other parts 

 where this creature is found. Thefe eggs are all in- 

 clofed in a long,, fine membrane, and torm a kind of 

 ilring. The fiefh of this animal is exceedingly white, 

 and univerfally admired by all ranks. I tailed both 

 the ilefb and the eggs, but the latter are vifcid in the 

 mouth, and of a very diiagrecable tañe : when drefled, 

 their colour is the fame with that of the yolk of a 

 hen's egg. The taftc of the fleih is fomething bet- 

 ter; but, though fwect, has a naufcous fmell. The 

 inhabitánlíí, however, compared it to that of chicken; 

 though I could not perceive the leail fimilarity *, 



Thefe 



* Theflefh of the guana is whiter than chicken, and more pleaf- 

 ing to moft palates, except as to the drynefs of it. The common 

 fauce to it is lime juice, ieafoned with Chian pepper, which 



fauce 



