THE IGUANOID LIZARDS 



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Whereas, however, the one is a land animal, the other is unique among the entire 

 suborder to which it belongs in being a marine creature, subsisting on seaweeds. 



Agreeing with the great majority of that section of the family characterized by 

 the presence of pores on the thighs in the fourth hind-toe being longer than the 

 third, the sea lizard, together with the terrestrial species inhabiting the same 

 islands, differs from all the rest in that the front teeth resemble those of the cheek 

 series in having three-cusped crowns, so that the entire set of teeth is uniform in 

 character. From its terrestrial ally, the sea lizard (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) is 

 distinguished by its much compressed and crested tail, as well as by the presence of 



GAI.APAGOS SEA LIZARD. 

 (One-sixth natural size.) 



an incipient web between the toes. This lizard is the largest member of the family, 

 and attains a total length of some fifty-three inches. It is characterized by the 

 compressed form of the body and tail, and the extremely-short and truncated head. 

 A well-marked crest runs from the nape of the neck to the tip of the tail, and the 

 whole build of the animal is stout and "chubby." The throat is devoid of a 

 pouch, although it has a well-marked transverse fold, and the toes are laterally 

 compressed. In the small and convex head the nostrils are situated near the end 

 of the muzzle, the eye and aperture of the ear are alike small, and the upper surface 



