78 THE NATURALIST IN AUSTRALIA. 



Without overstepping the bounds of prudence, it may be finally suggested 

 that the occurrence within the Australian region, embracing New Zealand, of a 

 wealth of archaic types, such as the Mesozoically related lizard Sphenodon and the 

 fresh-water fish Ceratodus, as also a dominant mammalian fauna that pre-existed, but 

 is now extinct, in other continents, would justify the anticipation that a reptile 

 inheriting the phenomenal habits of a Mesozoic race might be sought for with the 

 greatest prospects of success upon Australasian territory. 



The food of the Frilled Lizard in its natural state consists almost exclusively 

 of beetles, the crushed up remains of which were found by the author to constitute 

 the bulk of the excreta of all recently captured specimens. In captivity the regular 

 supply of a sufficient quantity of living coleoptera or other insects being impracticable, 

 their customary diet was experimentally exchanged for one consisting of raw meat. 

 While flourishing upon and apparently liking this pabulum, they could never be prevailed 

 upon to take it of their own accord, it being necessary by slightly exciting the 

 animals to induce them to erect their frills and open their mouths, when, on meat 

 being placed therein, it was immediately masticated and swallowed with unmistakable 

 relish. Feeding the lizards under these conditions was almost as simple a matter as 

 dropping pennies in a slot. On those rarer occasions when living beetles were placed 

 at their disposal the insects were picked up and secured by the rapid protrusion of 

 the fleshy glutinous tongue. The example recently presented to the Zoological 

 Society's Gardens was the survivor of four specimens taken on board ship by the 

 writer at Broome, in Western Australia. One of the finest of these four unfortunately 

 escaped overboard through the apparent omission on one occasion to sufficiently 

 secure the fastening of their cage. A second specimen, through biting off and 

 swallowing the end of the stick by which its daily allowance of raw beef was 

 administered, induced internal inflammation to which it finally succumbed ; while 

 the third wasted and died from injuries primarily received from the natives who 

 effected its capture and through whose aid all of the specimens obtained from the 

 Roebuck Bay district were secured. It being the custom of these aborigines to make 

 such captures as snakes and lizards safe by tying them, at the full stretch, tightly 

 to a stick, it is, scarcely to be wondered at that one or more of the specimens 

 should have received fatal injuries in the process. The results of the writer's 

 experience concerning the keeping of the Frilled Lizard in captivity would seem to 

 indicate that it is by no means of a hardy nature. A single specimen kept for a short 

 interval in Queensland some years previously, succumbed apparently to sunstroke 



