HABITS OF THE IGUANA. 189 



In my chapter of reptiles the " Iguana" 

 may be mentioned, for they abound in Central 

 America, more perhaps than any other coun- 

 try, and may be seen of every colour that it 

 is possible to imagine, from dirty white to 

 dirty black. Red, rose, crimson, blue, yellow, 

 green, brown, and every intermediate tint 

 may sometimes be met with in a morning 

 ride, and precious ugly beasts they are. They 

 are very like alligators, and (as of the Sauria 

 tribe) have, no doubt, great anatomical affinity 

 with them ; but I mean the resemblance of 

 some of their habits. They have a sort of 

 scale all over them, and have the same formid- 

 able jaws and teeth on a small scale, and are 

 very different from the large green lizard that 

 is sometimes called " iguana ;" they have also 

 a property that the alligator possesses, of 

 being able to walk at the bottom of a river, 

 which they always resort to when near at 

 hand, and hard pressed ; and there, as the 

 alligator does, consider themselves safe how- 

 ever little water may be over their heads or 

 rather backs. I have never seen this obser- 

 vation remarked before. They have a sort 

 of crest along the upper part of the back that 

 is very like the back fin of a perch when 

 elevated. 



