LIZARD. 



which form a number of variously shaped compart- 

 ments ; and which shows h.ow little dependence is to 

 be placed upon the traditions of these animals which 

 have been handed down from very early times. It 

 is alleged that this lizard of the Nile is nothing but a 

 crocodile which has been hatched in a place too dry 

 for bringing the real crocodile to the maturity of its 

 size and power. The teeth which are in both jaws 

 are strong and conical ; but those in the back part of 

 the mouth become rounded as the animal gets old. 

 The tail is marked with regular rings of eye-shaped 

 spots ; and though round at the base, it is marked 

 with a keel for the greater part of its length. The 

 ancient Egyptians appear to have been very partial 

 to this lizard, for it is delineated on many of their 

 monuments. 



LAND MONITOR OF EGYPT. This species is termed 

 Ouaran cl hard by the Arabs, while the former is 

 simply denominated ouaran. It is considerably 

 smaller, though still a reptile of no inconsiderable 

 size. The keel on its tail is also much less produced 

 and fitted for swimming than that of the former, and 

 its teeth are more compressed and have trenchant 

 edges. This species is employed by the jugglers of 

 Cairo in playing many tricks ; but they deprive it of 

 its teeth before they venture to take many liberties 

 with it. This species also has been known from 

 remote antiquity. 



THE MONITOR OF THE CONGO is nearly of the 

 same size as that of the Nile, but it is more handsome 

 in its colours. It is very abundant in the river after 

 which it is named, and in several other rivers of Cen- 

 tral Africa. It is ravenous in its feeding, destroying 

 a number of offensive animals, and on this account 

 the negroes entice it to their cottages, where it is a 

 great favourite. 



The species nearly allied to this one, but with 

 trenchant teeth, and tails still better adapted for 

 swimming, are very numerous in the rivers of Africa, 

 of India, of the Oriental Islands, and of New Hol- 

 land ; but they are so similar in their manners, that 

 a detailed account of them would be little else than 

 a list of different shades of colour. One of these from 

 New Holland is blackish, variously clouded, and 

 mottled on the back, and having the feet and the tail 

 marked with rings of yellow. It is about three feet 

 and a half in length when full grown, and it is said to 

 attempt hiding itself in the water when it is pursued. 

 There are few collections of animals in which spe- 

 cimens of lizards of this description are not found in 

 considerable numbers ; but very often without any 

 description or even the name of the place of which 

 they are native, and thus they are of no use in illus- 

 trating the history of living nature. One of the most 

 industrious explainers of these was Daudin ; but as 

 he adopted the names of the American Indians, and 

 the greater number of their species arc not Ame- 

 rican at all, a slight air of ridicule is thrown over his 

 otherwise meritorious labours. 



The other monitors are distinguished by angular 

 plates on the head, and large four-cornered scales on 

 the body and tail, while the skin of the throat is 

 covered with small scales, and marked by two or 

 three transverse folds. There is a row of pores on 

 the inside of each thigh. 



THE DRAGON LIZARD is the type of the first of 

 these sub-divisions. It has the scales elevated in the 

 middle in the same manner as those of the crocodiles, 

 and forming a crest on the tail, which organ is very 



much compressed. But though it has more resem- 

 blance to a crocodile than any of the lizards have, it 

 does not partake of the character of that animal ; and 

 its habits are different, although the tail is com* 

 pressed ; it does not swim rapidly ; but it runs well, 

 and is very expert at climbing trees. It is found in 

 the marshy parts of tropical America, where they arc 

 covered with trees. Some of the toes, especially those 

 on the hind feet, are very long and slender : and the 

 claws, though small, are firm and sharp pointed. It 

 is not so aquatic in its habits as the other lizards of 

 the same division ; and it spends much of its time in 

 basking in the sun. It is rather a formidable reptile, 

 measuring from four to six feet in length, and armed 

 with powerful teeth, which, though it usually employs 

 them only against those small animals upon which it 

 feeds, it can yet turn into effective weapons of defence 

 when an attack is made upon it. It is sought after 

 with a good deal of eagerness, its flesh being not only 

 eaten, but reckoned a great delicacy. Its swiftness and 

 power of climbing trees render the catching of it no 

 very easy matter ; and when it is surprised upon the ' 

 ground, it generally contrives to escape into some 

 burrow or crevice, where it bites very desperately in 

 defence of its position. The numbers are not in pro- 

 portion to the fertility of the animal, because its eggs 

 are consumed by many of the frequenters of the same 

 localities, and they are much sought after by the 

 people, who prize them very highly, as being at once 

 very delicate and very nutritious. The female pro- 

 duces several dozens of them in a season ; but, as is 

 the habit with all the class, she pays no attention to 

 them after she has once deposited them in ground fit 

 for hatching them. 



SAFEGUARD MONITORS. These differ from the 

 species last described, in having the scales on the 

 back and tail flat or without any keel. The teeth 

 are notched in the young stage, but with age those 

 in the hind part of the mouth become rounded. The 

 more typical safeguards have the tail more pr less 

 compressed ; and they live on the banks of rivers, 

 and can swim when occasion requires, though they 

 spend the greater part of their time on the bank, and 

 not in the water. It is this division which are more 

 particularly said to give warning by their whistling 

 sound at the approach of destroying reptiles ; but they 

 themselves are destructive, though upon rather a 

 smaller scale. They feed upon insects, of which they 

 capture vast numbers, and also upon aquatic reptile's 

 of inferior size, and upon eggs. Many of themselves, 

 and also of their eggs, are in return eaten by the 

 inhabitants; and indeed, it is a remarkable property 

 of the whole lizard family, that, with the cxceptipn 

 perhaps of the green turtle, their eggs and flesh are 

 more free from any rank or musky flavour than those 

 of any other reptiles whatever ; while many of the 

 animals upon which they feed, are such as it is de- 

 sirable to get rid of. 



THE GREAT AMERICAN SAFEGUARD is the most 

 typical species. It is marked with yellow points and 

 spots, disposed upon a white ground ; is blackish 

 on the upper part of the body, and yellowish on the 

 under part. It attains the length of six feet, though 

 specimens so large are not very often met with. It 

 runs with great swiftness along the ground, but takes 

 to the water when hard pursued, where, however, it 

 dives rather than swims ; and it keeps very near the 

 bank for fear of the alligator?. It burrows in the earth, 

 where it digs its own hiding place. It is not under- 



