380 AN AQUATIC LIZARD. [chap. xvii. 



and It is said to recover soon from this strange operation. 

 In order to secure the tortoises, it is not sufficient to turn 

 them like turtle, for they are often able to get on their legs 

 again. 



There can be little doubt that this tortoise is an aboriginal 

 ii/'inhabitant of the Galapagos ; for it is found on all, or nearly 

 '^all, the islands, even on some of the smaller ones where 

 there is no water ; had it been an imported species this 

 would hardly have been the case in a group which has been 

 so little frequented. Moreover, the old buccaneers found 

 this tortoise in greater numbers even than at present : 

 Wood and Rogers also, in 1708, say that it is the opinion of 

 the Spaniards that it is found nowhere else in this quarter 

 of the world. It is now widely distributed ; but it may be 

 questioned whether It is in any other place an aboriginal. 

 The bones of a tortoise at Mauritius, associated with those 

 of the extinct Dodo, have generally been considered as 

 belonging to this tortoise ; if this had been so, undoubtedly 

 It must have been there indigenous ; but M. Bibron Informs 

 me that he believes that it was distinct, as the species now 

 living there certainly is. 



The Amblyrhynchus, a remarkable genus of lizards, is 

 confined to this archipelago : there are two species resem- 

 bling each other in general form, one being terrestrial and 

 the other aquatic. This latter species {A. cristatus) was 

 first characterised by Mr. Bell, who well foresaw, from its 

 short, broad head, and strong claws of equal length, that 

 its habits of life would turn out very peculiar and different 

 from those of its nearest ally, the Iguana. It is extremely 

 cominon on all the islands throughout the group, and lives 

 exclusively on the rocky sea beaches, being never found, at 

 , least I never saw one, even ten yards in-shore. It Is a 

 hideous-looking creature, of a dirty black colour, stupid, 

 and sluggish in Its movements. The usual length of a 

 full-grown one is about a yard, but there are some even 

 four feet long ; a large ope weighed twenty pounds : on the 

 Island of Albemarle they seem to grow to a larger size than 

 elsewhere. Their tails are flattened sideways, and all four 

 feet partially webbed. They are occasionally seen some 

 hundred yards from the shore, swimming about ; and 

 Captain Collnett, In his " Voyage," says, " They go to sea in 

 herds a-fishing, and sun themselves on the rocks ; and may 

 be called alligators in miniature." It must not, however, 

 be supposed that they live on fish. When In the water 



