67 



Hlmii-I Filhol, one of tho naturalists attacliocl to the Museum 

 of Natural History of Paris (tliis genlloinan had just arrived 

 at Sydney via Batavia and Singapore, forming one of the 

 French Expedition for observing tlie Transit of Venus at 

 Campbell's Island, South Pacific, and brought a letter of in- 

 troduction to nie), ho kindly gave it a very attentive exami- 

 nation, confirming my opinion as to its reptilian character, and 

 on the following day informed me that he considered it a 

 fossil of an extinct species of the Chlamijdosaurus or Frilled 

 Lizard of Queensland. I immediately transmitted it by post, 

 by the mail steamer, to my friend Professor Owen, and in a 

 letter dated November 5th, 1874, received tho following 

 reply : — " I lose no time in acknowledging yours of September 

 3rd, 1874, and the small box therein referred to, which has 

 cafely reached me. The portions of jaw with teeth, are those 

 of a Chlavnjdosauriis ; but of a species with a shorter, more 

 obtuse, and higher head than Chlamydosaurus Kingii. I have 

 therefore entered it, and shall find a place for it in some plate 

 for figuring fossils, as of a Chlami/dosaurus Bennettii. By 

 the way, I should like to have from some competent and 

 trustworthy observer au opinion whether the Frilled Lizard 

 walks erect on its hind legs, or ever walks at all, or in any 

 fashion, on that pair solely, after the manner of birds. I cau 

 understand its sitting itself up, and outspreading its frill, and 

 perhaps snapping its teeth when attacked. But some, here, 

 have rested their argument on Iguanodon, etc., walking on 

 their hind feet, on a statement in Krefft's list of specimens in 

 your Museum, that Chlamydosaurus does so." 



In reply to the enquiry of my distinguished friend respecting 

 the Frilled Lizard walking on its hind legs, I communicated to 

 him the information I had obtained from several competent and 

 trustworthy observei's, and which led to the conclusion that the 

 Chlamgdosaurus did move solely on the hind legs occasionally, 

 but when in that position the mode of progression was more 

 hopping than walking, in some degree resembling the mode 

 of progression as observed in the kangaroos. Mr. Krefft, who 

 had an opportunity of observing these reptiles alive in a very 

 large cage, says : — " It rises occasionally on its hind legs, 

 squatting like a kangaroo. When suddenly disturbed it has 

 this habit more particularly, sometimes it hops not unlike a bird 

 for a short distance, say one or two yards, and then takes to 

 all feurs again. The common Lace Lizard {Ihjdrosaurus 

 varim) has similar habits, and I have noticed some of them 

 rise up and start, body erect, for fifteen or twenty yards. 

 The Lace Lizard only rises up when on the ground, but the 

 ' Frilled Lizard ' does so when in trees, and probably jumps 

 from branch to branch." The movement of the " Frilled 



