LACERTILIA AND CROCODILIA. 465 



of Java attaining to as much as eight feet. The Safe-guards 

 (Salvator) are the Monitory Lizards of the New World, and are 

 also of large size. 



The Geckotidce form a large family of Lizards, comprising a 

 great number of species, occurring in almost all parts of the 

 world. The tongue is wide, flat, scarcely notched at its free 

 extremity, and hardly at all protrusible. The eyes are large, 

 with extremely short lids, the pupil mostly linear, but some- 

 times circular. The teeth are numerous, small, compressed, 

 and implanted on the inner edge of the jaw. The nails are 

 mostly hooked and retractile, and the toes are furnished below 

 with imbricated plates. The animal is capable of running on 

 the smoothest surfaces, or suspending itself back-downwards. 

 They feed on insects, and are found in abundance in the warmer 

 parts of both the Old and New Worlds. 



The Igtianidce constitute another large family of Lizards, 

 also belonging partly to the Old and partly to the New World. 

 The tongue is thick, fleshy, notched at its extremity only, and 

 not protrusible. M'ostly there is a dorsal crest, and a goitre or 

 throat-pouch. The body is covered with imbricated scales. 

 Only one species of the family is European, but the group is 

 represented by numerous species in N. and S. America, Asia, 

 Africa, and Australia. They are often divided into "ground- 

 iguanas," in which the body is flat and depressed, and " tree- 

 iguanas," in which the body is compressed. The members of 

 the genus Iguana itself (fig. 199) are confined to the New 

 World, and are distinguished by having the throat furnished 

 with a pendulous dewlap or fold of skin, the edge of which is 

 toothed. The back and tail, too, are furnished with an erect 

 crest of pointed scales. The Iguana attains a length of from 

 four to five feet, and though not of a very inviting appearance, 

 is highly esteemed as food. The Basilisks (Basiliscus) have 

 the top of the head furnished with a membranous sac, which 

 can be distended with air at will. The Agamidce, agree with 

 the Iguanas in most respects, but have two rows of teeth on 

 the hinder margin of the palate, and the tail is covered with 

 imbricated scales. Good examples are the Tapayaxin (Agama 

 orbicularis) of South America, and the hideous Moloch horridus 

 of Australia. Here also belongs the curious little Frill Lizard 

 (Chlamydosaurus] of Australia, which has the neck furnished 

 on each side with a membranous plaited frill, which can be 

 erected at will. More remarkable than the true Iguanas is the 

 little Flying Dragon (Draco volans) of the East Indies and 

 Indian Archipelago. In this singular little Lizard there is a 

 broad membranous expansion on each side, formed by a fold 



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