28 REPTILFS. 



the East Indies. It is small, fawn-coloured, and has a series of 

 broad, brown, rhomboidal spots along the back. 



It is perhaps to this tribe of the Agamte that we should approximate a 

 very extraordinary reptile, which is only to be found among the fossils of 

 the old Jura limestone formation ; 



Pterodactylus*, Cuv. 



It had a short tail, an extremely long neck, and a very large head ; the 

 jaws armed with equal and pointed teeth ; but its cliief character consisted 

 in the excessive elongation of the second toe of the fore-foot, which was 

 more than double the length of the trunk, and most probably served to 

 support some membrane which enabled the animal to fly, like that upheld 

 by the ribs of the Dragon. 



The second section of the Iguanian family, that of the Iguanians 

 proper, is distinguished from the first by having teeth in the palate. 



Iguana, Cfw. 



The Iguanas, or Guanas, properly so called, have the body and tail 

 covered with small imbricated scales; along the entire length of the 

 back, they have a range of spines, or rather of recurved, compressed, and 

 pointed scales; beneath the throat a pendent, compressed dewlap, the edge 

 of which is supported by a cartilaginous process of the hyoid bone ; a 

 series of porous tubercles on their thighs, as in the true Lizards; and 

 their head covered with plates. Each jaw is surrounded with a row of 

 compressed, triangular teeth, whose cutting edge is denticulate ; there 

 are also two small rows of the same on the posterior edge of the palate. 

 Ig. tuherculafa, Laur. ; Lac. Igvana, L. ; Seb. 1, xcv, 1, xcvii, 

 3, xcviii, 1. (The Common American Iguana-j-). Yellowish green 

 above, marbled with pure green; the tail annulated with brown; 

 preserved in spirits it appears blue, changing to green and violet, 

 and dotted with black ; paler beneath ; a crest of large spiniform dorsal 

 scales; a large round plate under the tympanum at the angle of the 

 jaws; sides of the neck furnished with pyramidical scales scattered 

 among the others; anterior edge of the dewlap denticulate like the 

 back; from four to five feet in length: common in every part of 

 South America, where its flesh is esteemed delicious, although un- 

 wholesome, particularly for those who have contracted syphilis, the 

 suff'erings peculiar to which it revives. It lives mostly on trees, oc- 

 casionally visits the water, and feeds on fruit, grain, and leaves; the 

 female lays in the sand eggs the size of those of a Pigeon, agreeable 

 to the taste, and almost without white. 



Lhjuane ardoise, Dand. ; Seb. I, xcv, 2, xcvi, 4. (The Slate- 

 coloured Iguana). A uniform violet blue, paler beneath; the dorsal 



* See my Oss. Foss. 2d ed. Vol. V, p. 2, pi. xxiii. 



f The JMexicaiis call it Aquaqiietzpallia, Hernand. ; the Brazilians, Senemhi, 

 Marcgr. 



