OBSERVATIONS ON LACERT1LIANS. 

 By RAYMOND L. D1TMARS, 



CURATOR OF REPTILES. 



OF the class of reptiles, the Order of* Lacertilia presents the 

 most remarkable variation in anatomy and habits. As an 

 example of this, the species of the South American genus Am- 

 phisbcena may be compared with the Old World monitors. In the 

 former we have limbless, worm-like, half-blind creatures, which 

 timidly burrow away from the light in mouldy ground or decay- 

 ing trees. These lowly and helpless forms of reptile life would 

 appeal to the popular mind as more distinctly removed in classifi- 

 cation from the monitors than the latter are removed from a 

 bright-eyed and highly-colored snake. But those worm-like 

 creatures, and the bold, dashing monitors, with their great size, 

 and powerful limbs and claws, all belong to the Order of Lizards. 

 Thus we have in these forms a variation in anatomy and habits 

 from feeble, insectivorous and burrowing creatures to those that 

 run swiftly, and possess strength of jaw sufficient to crush the 

 life out of the small mammals that constitute their food. There 

 are 1,893 species of lizards, evincing many curious phases of form 

 and color. 



The collection of lizards in the Reptile House of the Zoological 

 Park has been made valuable and interesting only by the diligent 

 and constant efforts that have been made to obtain representative 

 species from various parts of the world. The larger lizards have 

 been represented by such species as the Marine Iguana, Rhinoceros 

 and Crested Iguana, four species of Monitors, the Frilled Lizard 

 and the Gila Monster. The smaller species of particular interest 

 in the Eastern Hemisphere have been represented by the African 

 Chameleon, various Geckoes, the Giant Cyclodes, Mastigure, 

 Green Lizard, Viviparous Lizard, Sand Lizard, the Blind "worm" 

 and Sheltopusic. The collection from the Western Hemisphere 

 has contained various species of Horned "Toads," the lizards of 

 the Western deserts, the Blue-Tailed Lizard, Six-Lined Lizard, 

 Swifts of several species, the Anolis or American Chameleon, and 

 the Glass "Snake." With such a thorough representation of the 

 Lacertilia constantly on hand, the writer has had exceptional 



