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ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



SUMMER HOME OF THE ALLIGATORS AND CROCODILES. 



resent Tcstudo z'icina and T. nigrita, respect- 

 ively, the largest and the smallest species of 

 the group. These specimens weigh 220 and 

 ■90 pounds. Occupying the same large com- 

 partment with these New World monsters are 

 two specimens of the Elephant Tortoise, 

 {Tcstudo clcphautina) . a species inhabiting 

 the Ak'abra Islands, a group similar to the 

 miniature archipelago formed by the Gala- 

 pagos Islands, but situated on the other side 

 •of the globe, in the Indian Ocean. 



The large lizards of Central and South 

 America and the West Indies are probably the 

 most contented members in our reptilian col- 

 lection. In summer they occupy large sandy 

 yards, which connect with indoor stalls of the 

 eastern end of the Reptile House. Here are 

 shown the big iguanas from the tropics, the 

 West Indian Rhinoceros, Iguana, {Mctapo- 

 ceros conuitus), the Black Iguana, (Cyclura 

 baeolopha), and the Turk's Island Iguana, 

 (C carinata), all three species inhabiting the 

 West Indies. Of the mainland species are the 

 Spine-Tailed Iguana, (Ctciwsaiira acanthura) , 

 the Banded Iguana, (C. hemilopha). the 

 Tuberculated Iguana, (Iguana tubcrculata), 

 and the nose-horned variety of the latter — 

 rhinolopha. In these yards the Tegus are 

 ■quartered, of which the most showy species is 

 the Black Tegu, {Tupinamhis nigropuncta- 

 ius), the examples of which are as gorgeously 



decorated in spots and stripes of golden yellow 

 as the uniforms of the most resplendant 

 soldiery. Of the more eccentric South and 

 Central American lizards we have exhibited 

 the two species of "Dragons," (BasiUscus), 

 the Tree Runners, (iJrauiscodon), and several 

 species of the worm-like members of the Am- 

 phisbaciiidac. 



The greater number of our visitors are 

 much interested in the "big snakes," and South 

 America supplies a liberal number of these. 

 With the exception of the Anaconda, ( Euuec- 

 tcs iiiunuus), however, of which we have fine 

 examples, the big constrictors of the New 

 World tropics are not nearly so imposing as 

 the gigantic serpents of the Indo-Malayan 

 region. In our series of the large snakes of 

 the New World we have the several species of 

 the genus Boa, these popularly known as the 

 "Boa Constrictor," the Diviniloqua Boa, 

 Central American Boa and Mexican Boa, rep- 

 resenting the genera Epicrates and Corallus, 

 our collection contains the Bahama, Rainbow, 

 and Cuban Boas of the former genus, and 

 Cook's, Rushenberg's and the Green Tree Boas 

 of the latter. One specimen of the Dog- 

 Headed Boa, (Corallus cauinus), has dis- 

 played its beautiful emerald coils in the cage 

 assigned to these reptiles. 



The coastal regions of Mexico and Central 

 America and the great waterways of tropical 



