SAURIANS. 4?9 



face, never cylindrical, nor playing in a sheath. The eyes are 

 protected with movable eyelids. The fingers are free, distinct, 

 and all furnished with claws. The auditory orifice is usually 

 visible, and often surrounded with pointed scales. . 



The senses of sight and hearing in the Iguanas, appear to be 

 well developed ; taste they seem to have in a fair degree, but 

 not smell ; the touch is moderate. 



MM. Dumeril and Bibron divide these reptiles into two sub- 

 families; (1) the Pleurodonta, (Gr. pleuron, side; odous, tooth,) 

 having the teeth palatine, or in a sort of furrow running along 

 the jaw bones and to which they adhere simply by their inner 

 surface. All the genera are American, with the exception of 

 one genus, Brachylophus, (Gr. brachus, short; lophos, crest,) 

 found in India. 



(2) The Acrodonta, (Gr. akros, the highest part or summit ; 

 odous, tooth,) having the teeth soldered to the ridge or upper 

 edge of the jaws, of which they appear to be a continuation, and 

 from which they rise. Our space allows us to notice but a few 

 of the genera and species. 



I. Iguana, distinguished by having a long flap or fold of skin 

 under the throat, on the part nearest the chin, somewhat like a 

 dewlap, and by having two series of palatine teeth, a long com- 

 pressed tail, and a dentated crest along the back. 



The animals of this genus are arboreal in their habits, but 

 often, however, visit the ground, and occasionally take to the wa- 

 ter, in which they swim with ease and rapidity. They are easily 

 tamed, though they retain a degree of fierceness, and will often 

 attempt to bite. The female visits the sea shore, or the borders 

 of rivers, in order to deposit her eggs in the sand. 



The incessant destruction of these creatures for the sake of 

 their flesh, has rendered them exceedingly scarce in localities 

 where they were once abundant. Their eggs are much es- 

 teemed. When attacked, they seldom attempt to escape, but 

 gaze at their assailants, inflating their throats prodigiously, and 

 assuming as formidable an air as possible, They show them- 

 selves to be very tenacious of life, and are generally killed by 

 plunging a sharp instrument into the brain. A well known spe- 

 cies inhabiting South America and the West India Islands, is 

 the Iguana tuberculata, (Lat. having tubercles,) often reaching 

 five feet in length, and sometimes measuring even six; the sides 

 of the neck are covered with tubercles, whence the specific name. 

 The general color of this species is green, more or less tinged 

 with olive ; or yellowish, marbled with a brighter tint ; the tail 

 is ringed with dusky black. It is fierce in its aspect and dispo- 

 sition. On account of the excellence of its flesh, the animal 



