::::::::3e NATURE NEAR CAMP aK""-:: 



ards lived among' the crevices of the rocks some distance 

 away from the water, and their whole time seemed to 

 be spent in creeping stealthily to where they might lie 

 in the open upon the hot sand, and in rushing helter- 

 skelter back to their holes, at the slightest hint of dan- 

 ger. They were victims of an inordinate curiosity, 

 and whenever we were quiet for ten minutes or longer, 

 a sly glance behind would reveal a score of bright little 

 eyes watching our every motion. Start up suddenly, 

 and the tumult was langhable. Rustling and scurrying 

 the little brown forms would go, only to creep back 

 again when all was quiet. Sometimes we cornered one 

 near the water, but he would never plunge in. Rather 

 than wet himself he would take the greatest risks of 

 slipping through our fingers. It was amusing to see 

 them, when running, gradually assume an upright posi- 

 tion and a bipedal locomotion as their speed acceler- 

 ated. The 2"reater the momentum the less use were their 

 fore legs. When they were moving most rapidly on 

 their hind legs alone, even the tail trailed straight out 

 behind, giving no support whatever. 



Once or twice, as we came along the Colima trail, we 

 had noticed the black forms of huge Iguanas, as they 

 dived into their holes under the banks of earth by the 

 roadside. But here we found them at home, looking 

 like pieces of decayed wood among the rocky caves. 

 A large species of green lizard was very rare, and only 

 twice did we catch sight of his two feet or more of 



<i- 157 > 



