nils l;n\ -.s <,//././/.- i //,/> 



yellow mi tli.- hark. sides, and tail, fadim; int.. y,-li,,w ..,, tin- < > I white mi tin- iiii.|.-r 



j-arts. This s|,,-cies max U- distin-uisi,,, | f,,, m th,- ,,il,.-i Conhles by il,,. smooth shields ,,f 

 the head and tli.- rhoiuhoidal-ahaped scales of the bark, which are larger in tin- centre than ..n 



III'' -' i--. mi i : Ml] IBB) ' : Oft 1fce flanks tl ft| M |Q < .. (M -|,n,. - .,n i 



tin- sides <.f th,. ne-k are covered with sharp spine-lik- seal. 



TIIK KM -i C..i:n\M is plai-i-,1 in a se[>aite genus. <>n account of tli shape an.l siaa of 



scales n|Miii tin h ., k i: ; , \:,~'. :: ^ ,. . .,. I Uileml , -/ . ii* in 



the preceding genus, they an* very small and granular. :ilt.-i-naiin- with l>an<ls of larger scaleo, 

 which are three-f.i-l.il. . ,,,i slj-htly ke-led. These scales are largest on tin- sj.i. 



th,- back. 'I'll.- - n.-ii.- nain,- Mii-ml.-].iihitiiH Mt:Mi!i,-> small M-uli^l. and IH given to theae . 

 IM-.-S in allusion to the minute *-ule.s of th,- Lark and sides. 



The hal-it- f this reptile ore much lik,- thos> of th<- I.P-X i,n^ species. Dr. A. Smith 

 \vrit.-s a.s follows respecting this creature, after describing th,- *inirular \ariatioiwof -iln- ( 

 which it is Milij,-,-t : 



" Each of the varieties appeared to be restricted to its own localities and, NO far as my 

 observations extend, no s]H-<-iin,-ns of two varieties an- -v,-r found in tin- sain,- localities. All 

 the varieties inhabit rocky situations; and. when they hare a choice, they invariably prefer 

 pndpict-s aiidtfce Stay !! Of difficult h - -, ravine* In thissitMliOB thfljmuider 

 carelessly, in search of food or warmth, unless alarmed liy what they may regard as enemies. 

 On being closely approached in their retreats, they are with difficulty captured, as, by aid of 

 the prominences on the hinder edge of each temple, they hold on with a tenacity which is 

 i|iiit'- surprising; and by them they occasionally offer sin-h an effectual resistance to the force 

 applied from behind, that the tail breaks off from the Ixnly U-fore the reptile is s,., -un-d." 



As, in Dr. Smith's work, the description of the different varieties occupy nearly five quarto 

 pages of letter-press, it is evidently imj>ossjb|e to jfive more than a general des<-ription in this 

 volume. Suffice it to nay, that in one variety, found on the Table Mountain ami alxmt ( '.!) 

 Town, the color is ochry-yellow above, banded with dark brown : in another, which inhabits 

 the rocks about Algoa Bay, it is yellow, with bold, black l*ars along the back ; another, which 

 lives on the banks of the Orange Hivcr, \a brown above, wanting into bright chestnut in the 

 male, and olive-green mottled with dusky black in the female; and a fourth variety, which is 

 found in tin- hidi. mountainous regions about Xatal, isbriuht green, with an olive-green stripe 

 and short bars of the same tint across the back. The tail is also banded with two shades of 

 green, one a deep olive, and the other havinir a much yellower hue. The female of this variety 

 is without the bands, and is only mottle,! with dark olive, and sotted with the same hue along 

 the sides. The length of the False Cordyle in about eighteen inches. 



A SMALL group of reptiles is collected under th>- yeiieric title of (terrhcmauri, or Ha-sket- 

 Ldzards, because the arrangement of their scales and coloring' has an cftWt as if the body 

 had been covered with delicate wicker work, such as is employed to protect glass flasks from 

 injury. 



These Lizards are natives of Southern Africa, where they are far from uncommon. They 

 are all rather pretty in form and coloring, but the most pleasing in general a]>|-arance is 

 BIBROS'S OERKIIO- M ui's (Gerrhosaurus bihr<mi\. This animal is found near the Orange 

 Hiv.-r, and may be seen slipping about among the rocky sides of the dark ravines that are so 

 plentiful in that neighborhood. It is a v.-ry shy and timid creature, and if it fancies its,. if 

 watched by on unfriendly eye, or suspects the least shadow of danger, it quietly glides under 

 the heap of dead wood anil dri>-d leaves which collect in abundance in such localities, and will 

 not venture out again until it is tolerably sure that the danger has passed away. 



As in the case with most of these Lizards, there is considerable variation of coloring, but 

 in general the upper surface is dark brown, and the sides of the head, the throat, and front 

 of the for,- limbs are bright scarlet. AJongthe lack run four yellow lines, of which the two 

 central only extend as far as the hind legs, whereas the two outer streaks an-coiumn-d to the 

 extremity of the tail. It is not a large species, being about ten or twelve indies J M length. 



