2494 



SCALED REPTILES 



of the neck. Below, the color is brownish or yellowish, which may be either uni- 

 form or clouded with brown markings. An inhabitant of the great primeval forests 

 of South America, the stilted lizard has the power of changing color, and is con- 

 sequently often designated a chamseleon. It generally associates in pairs, dwelling 

 among trees, and its food appears to be entirely of a vegetable nature. When dis- 

 turbed, it rushes suddenly up a high branch, where it stands with outstretched head 

 and neck and widely-open eyes, gazing steadily at the intruder. Should it be un- 

 able to escape otherwise, the creature raises its neck still higher, inflates the neck 

 pouches, and, with a sharp cry, springs boldly into the air. 



STILTED LIZARD. 

 (Natural size.) 



There are a very large number of genera, agreeing with those hitherto noticed 

 in the absence of pores on the thighs, which the limits of our space prevent us from 

 even mentioning. We accordingly pass on to the consideration of certain repre- 

 sentatives of the second great group of the family in which such pores are present. 

 Both as regards their fauna and flora, the Galapagos islands stand 

 altogether apart from the rest of the world, the greater number of their 

 animals and plants being absolutely peculiar, it may be specifically, 

 or it may be generically, while herbivorous reptiles take the place occupied on the 

 continents of the world by vegetable-eating mammals. In no case, however, is 

 this faunistic peculiarity more marked than in the occurrence in such a limited area 

 of two distinct genera of the present family, each represented by a single species. 

 Remarkable alike for special features connected with their dentition, as well as for 

 their large bodily size, these two lizards differ widely from the rest of the family. 



The Sea 

 Lizard 



