the South Australian Natua-alist. 145 



that ants carrying pupae immediately dropped their loads when 

 taken by the animal. I have not seen this happen ; but with all 

 the specimens I have kept I find that as long as the insects pass 

 (or attempt to pass) in single file their life insurance risk would 

 not be accepted as gilt-edged. If, on the other hand, the ants 

 pass in "twos" the lizard appears to lose count, and the insects 

 go unmolested. As to rapidity in feeding, I have on several 

 occasions watched the animal for half-an-hour at a time, and the 

 average number of ants consumed was between twenty-five and 

 thirty per minute. Returning to the scene of slaughter, perhaps 

 a couple of hours later, Molly is found still busy as ever, so 1 

 would estimate that between three and four thousand individuals 

 were posted missing when the evening roll was called. The 

 fraenum, or string, of the tongue, extends to the tip ; nevertheless 

 the animal can shoot it forward with lightning-like rapidity as 

 the ants come within reach. Evidently some sticky substance 

 exudes from the tongue, which never fails to secure the victim. 

 During the winter hibernation, the waste products remain in the 

 digestive tracts a long period, as is evidenced by the fact that 

 excrement passed by one of my lizards a few days ago is com- 

 posed of ant fragments, although no food had been taken since 

 the rainy season commenced some twelve weeks ago. The power 

 of adapting protective colouration of the body to its surround- 

 ings is largely developed in the moloch. If standing over dark 

 ground the colour of the animal assumes a dark slate, then if 

 moved on to a gravelled path the colour will, in a few minutes, 

 change to a decided yellow, the darker markings almost dis- 

 appearing. Early in November of last year I received a fine 

 specimen from Minippa. Prom the time the moloch arrived 

 until November 13 the animal refused to eat. On the evening 

 of that date, between 8 and 8.50, nine eggs were deposited. The 

 total weight of the nine eggs was 17 gm. 842 mgm. Average 

 length, 2 cm. 3 mm. Average breadth, 1 cm. 5 mm. These 

 measurements are considerably larger than those of an average 

 sparrow egg. Two of the specimens were sent to the Museum 

 for preservation, two I put in pickle; the remaining five were 

 placed in dry sand, in the hope they might prove fertile. Evi- 

 dently this was not the case, or some other necessary condition 

 was lacking, for the leathery shells simply shrivelled and dried. 

 The morning following the ordeal the lizard was extremely rest- 

 less and freely absorbed water which was provided for her, then, 

 when tethered near an ant run, she immediately ' ' got busy ' ' and 

 enjoyed a hearty meal of the dainty morsels. Although in the 

 natural state frequenting the hot sandy regions, the captive 

 specimen will not survive the intense heat of our summer sun 

 unless able to obtain shelter. I have lost more than one fine 



