THE NATURALIST IN AUSTRALIA. 



The attempt was made on the spot to permanently register, with the aid of 

 the Kodak camera, the absurdly grotesque appearances these lizards presented when 

 progressing in this bipedal fashion. Such, however, was the speed at which the animals 

 ran, that the shutter of that instrument did not work fast enough to secure anything 

 better than a blur at close quarters, and it was only by bringing an Anschutz camera, 

 with its more rapid roller-blind shutter to bear on the specimen after its arrival in 

 London, that the several bizarre figures reproduced in Plate XII. were secured. While 

 even these partake much of the nature of silhouettes, they will serve to indicate the 

 very singular running attitudes which this lizard may assume. 



Fig. 1 in this series carries with it so essentially human an aspect that one is 

 sorely tempted, even at the risk of scientific contumely, to place a cricket bat in its 

 right hand. Fig. 2, again, might equally do duty as a parody on the celebrated dance of 

 the "Lord Chancellor" in the play of "lolanthe"; the exuberant judicial wig of his 

 lordship finding its counterpart in the lizard's semi-erected frill, while the dancing 

 pose is ludicrously perfect. The distance Chlamydosaurus will traverse in this 

 remarkable erect position may average as much as thirty or forty feet at a stretch, 

 when, after resting momentarily on its haunches, as in the attitude illustrated in 

 Fig. 8 of the same Plate, it will resume its running course. When, however, a 

 short space of a few yards only has to be covered, the animal runs on all-fours, 

 sitting somewhat high on its haunches after the manner of many ordinary lizards, 

 such as the Amphiboluri, previously referred to. The figure last quoted, as also the 

 bipedal perambulating one represented by Fig. 7, are reproduced, it should be here 

 mentioned, from drawings from the living animal, originally executed for the " Field " 

 by Mr. F. W. Frohawk. 



As is incontrovertibly demonstrated by the unimpeachable accuracy of the 

 accompanying instantaneous photographs, all doubt that has hitherto been entertained 

 respecting the correctness of the reported erect mode of locomotion of the Frilled 

 Lizard may be finally put at rest. Fortunately, moreover, through the medium of the 

 example of this remarkable lizard brought safely to England, the writer has been 

 enabled to afford other scientists an opportunity of witnessing its very abnormal 

 locomotive performances. An anecdote might be even related of how one of our 

 most eminent zoologists, carried away in his enthusiastic delight at the singular spectacle 

 of the creature careering on its hind legs and defiantly erecting its marvellous frill, 

 so far unbent as to follow it excitedly on hands and knees. Verily, here stood revealed, 

 (pardon the hibernianism), the spirit of a genuine naturalist ! The specimen in question 



