370 THE STORY OF THE LIZARD. 



rarely seen. As the lizard lies in shade along the trunk of a tree, its colors 

 at a distance appear like a mixture of brown and gray, and render it scarcely 

 distinguishable from the bark. There it remains with no sign of life, except 

 the restless eyes, watching passing insects, which, suddenly expanding its 

 wings, it seizes with a sometimes considerable, unerring leap. The lizard 

 itself appears to possess no power of changing its colors. When excited, the 

 appendages on the throat are expanded or erected ; and the ordinary move- 

 ments of the creature take the form of a series oi leaps. 



There is an Australian species commonly known as the moloch, but termed 

 by the settlers the spiny lizard or thorny devil, which seems of peculiar in- 

 terest to me. This differs from all the other members of the family in being 

 covered with large conical spines. About eight inches in total length, this 

 extraordinary lizard has a small head, with an extremely short snout, on the 

 summit of which are pierced the nostrils. O'n each side of the head imme- 

 diately above the small eye is a large horn curving outwards and backwards, 

 while there is a smaller conical spine above the nostril, a second behind the 

 horn over the eye, a third and larger one in front of each ear, as well as one 

 on each side. On the back the spines form ten or more series, of which the 

 outermost are the largest. 



Inhabiting Southern and Western Australia, and being not uncommon in 

 several localities in the neighborhood of Port Augusta, the moloch is found 

 only in districts where the soil is dry and sandy. Occasionally two or three 

 may be observed basking in company on the top- of a sandhill ; and it is the 

 frequent habit of this lizard to bury itself in the sand to a small depth below 

 the surface. Although generally very slow in its movements, it has been 

 known, when disturbed, to make for a neighboring hole with considerable 

 speed. 



