THE MONITORS 2509 



the exposed drum of the ear, and the transverse arrangement of the rows of tuber- 

 cles on the upper surface. The curved and fang-like teeth are but loosely attached 

 to the jaws, and have grooves in front and behind for the transmission of the 

 poison, while there are also teeth on the palate. Beneath, the body and tail are 

 covered with squared scales. In length, the figured species measures rather less 

 than twenty inches, while the other is somewhat larger. The former has a yellow- 

 ish or orange ground color, marked with a dark network on the head and body, and 

 with blackish rings on the tail. Among the reddish sand, intermixed with dark 

 pebbles, in which these lizards delight to nestle, this coloration, coupled with the 

 granular nature of the skin, appears to be protective. 



Inhabiting dry regions from the western side of the Cordillera to the Pacific, 

 and apparently never entering water, the poisonous lizards are nocturnal in their 

 habits, lying during the day hidden among the vegetation in a listless state, and 

 issuing forth at evening. Their movements are at all times deliberate; and as these 

 lizards are most commonly met with in the wet season, being but seldom seen dur- 

 ing the dry months from November to June, it is probable that they are torpid dur- 

 ing part of the latter period. Their food comprises insects, worms, myriapods, and 

 small frogs, as well as eggs of iguanas. Regarding the effects of their bite, Sir J. 

 Fayrer writes that he once saw two guinea pigs bitten by one of these lizards. 

 "The bites were viciously inflicted, and the lizard did not really relinquish its hold. 

 Blood was drawn, the teeth being deeply inserted. Both guinea pigs were affected; 

 the bitten limb was dragged, and appeared partially paralyzed. There were twitch- 

 ings of the body generally, but these may not have been due to the poison, but to 

 agitation and fear. ' ' Both the unfortunate rodents died in the course of the day. 

 Another of these lizards once bit its owner, who was incautiously handling it, with 

 very severe effects, which did not, however, prove fatal. The poison is secreted in 

 special glands situated near the roots of the teeth. 



THE MONITORS 

 Family VARANID^, 



No better instance of the essential difference in the distribution of lizards as 

 compared with tortoises is afforded than by those lizards commonly known as mon- 

 itors. The tortoises of Australia, as we have already seen, belong to a different 

 suborder from those of India, while there are no genera common to Australia and 

 Africa. The monitors, all of which are included in the single genus Varanus, are, 

 however, common to the three countries named, while one species actually ranges 

 from India to Australia. That this widespread generic distribution is not a feature 

 of the present epoch is proved by the occurrence of fossil monitors in both the two 

 latter countries; whereas we have no evidence that they possessed genera of tor- 

 toises in common. Before proceeding further, it is well to mention that the Egyp- 

 tian representative of the group is known to the natives by the name of ouaran, 

 which appears to be the Arabic term for lizards in general. Transliterated as 



