THE COMMON IOUA^ i. 75 



Both the scientific names ,,f tin- 1,,-af tailed (focko refer to tin- -insular formation of it, 

 tail, ill- mi,, signifying L*f-tail, and the other Hmad tail. The head of thin reptile to very 

 bruud at the hue, very sharp at tin- sn,ut, ami ill,- -kin adheres no closely t.. ti,,. Ume H.S to 



exhibit tin- form of the skull through its suUta Th<> toes an Iniii;. -I--M.I. 



compressed. A Ion- tli,- si.|,-s ,.,MS a f,,|,l ,,f ski,,, |,t, |,,it sufficiently con-- 



Th.- tail is v,-r\ thin anI leaf-like; along the edge ruai a aeries of spiny scalett, and it 



i- cover*, i with rathi ; la -' .' n : - m ran :.:,;.. i.. 1 1, loi in bra n a : 



a nuinl>cr of littl,* spiny tubercles are scattered over tin* kirk. 



In taking leave of the Geckos, we must cast a hasty glance at their feet. In many of their 



movement- III- lie, -k.- I- :! . i'l..'l^ i.:.. I:. ,.;,,:,.- ,.,!.!!,,, i i!;. . ,,li, I u >,. ..-. , ;>-. ;.-; 



tiles is seen i:lidini: aloni: a jierpendirulai u ii <A ; i: -i..:-. 1. - -. p. .,< . < .-.;, rith perfect 6*M 

 to an overhanging Iteam. .piit,- regardless of th,> fact that it is han-in- uitli its |. :l ,-k .l.,un 

 wards, tin- ivs.- m | ( |aiic-,- i^ ini-si^tii,!,.. And on inspwtiiiir tin- f.M.t an. I its stnirtinv. tin- 

 pesenillanr,- which this nit-mix.,- IHMI-S in many spetnes to tin- \\.-ll knon foot of th<- ll\. is 

 remarkably close and worthy of att<-ntion. 



STROBILOSAURA. 



WE now arrive at an important trilt.' of hiamls. ,-alNvl | )V tin- mini,- of Strol>ilosanni. :i 

 title derive^! from two (Jn^.k um-ls. ,,n,. si-nifying a tir-ron.- and tin- oth.T a li/ai'l. : 

 to these creatures be<-: i UN., th. -..ilrs that <-OV,T th-ir tails are set in regular whorls, and bear 

 some resemblance to the pnj,^-t ing scales of the fir-cone. In all th.-s,- n-ptil.-s tin- tonun,- is 

 thick, short, and very slightly nickwd at th tip. Th eyea have circular pupils, and are 

 formed for day use. 



TIIK first family of thcs,- Li/anls consists of tho*> cn-atun's which an i groii|M^l together 

 under the gent-nil title of I..i \\ \. This word is employed extremely htosely. a.s the name of 

 Iguana is applie<l to many sjiecH's of LiAinU, such as th- monitors and the vanuis. which in 

 r-ality have little in common with the true Iguanas. Thes.. n -pules ran montly In- .lis. 

 tinguishe<l from the rest of the tribe by the formation of their t,-eth, which an' round at the 

 roots, swollen and rather compressed at the tip. and notched on the edge. There are gener- 

 ally some tM>th on the palate. All the true Iguanas inhabit the New World. As the family 

 of Iguanas is extremely large, and contains more tl.an fifty geii'-m. we can only examine a 

 few of the most interesting >;*> i* -. the first of which is tin- COMMON |..i \s \ 



This conspicuous, and in spite of its rather repulsive shajie. really handsome l,i/ard. i- ;i 

 native of Hnizil. Cayenne, the Bahamas and neighltorini; localities, and was at on-- time very 

 common in Jamaica, from which, however, it seems to be in process of gradual extirpation. 



In common with those members of the family which have their !>ody rather compressed, 

 aiul covered with squared wales, the Iguana is a jiercher on trees, livimr almost wholly among 

 the branches, to which it clings with its powerful feet, and .n which it finds the greater part 

 of its food. It is almost always to be found on the trees that are in the \ icinity of water, and 

 especially favors those that grow upon the banks of a river, where the branches overhang tin- 

 stream. 



Though not one of the aquatic Lizard*, th.- Iiruana is quite at home in the water, and if 

 alarmed, will often plunge into the stream, and either dive or swim rapidly away. While 

 swimming, it lays its forelegs against the sides, so as to afford the smallest jossilde resistance 

 to the water, stretches out its hinder legs, and by a rapid serpentine movement of its long anil 

 flexible tail, passes swiftly through the waves. It ha* considerable power of enduring imm<-r 

 sion, as indeed is the case with nearly all reptiles, and has been known to remain under water 

 for an entire hour, and at the end of tliat time to emerge in perfect vigor. 



From the aspect of this lonir tailel. dewlap|ed, scaly, spiny Lizard, most jM-r^.ns would 

 rather recoil than feel attracted, an 1 the idea of eating th' flesh of so repulsive a creature 

 would not be likely to occur to them. Yet in truth, the flesh of the Iguana ia justly reckoned 



