98 THE STORY OF REPTILE LIFE. 



these pouches serve as reservoirs of air. This 

 seems to be the only instance of an internal 

 structural modification due to adaptation to 

 aquatic habits. Professor V. Ball, writing of the 

 Indian Monitor (V. bengalensis\ which he met 

 with in the Nicobars, describes an attempt to 

 capture a specimen which he did not wish to 

 injure. " As I was pressing him into a corner he 

 made a rush into the water, but returned, appar- 

 ently not liking the surf. Just as I thought he 

 could not escape, he made a sudden dart into the 

 water, dived through the surf, and disappeared." 

 Lizards are essentially creeping animals, but 

 some run with great swiftness. One species 

 which has not yet apparently received any- 

 English name (Phrynocephalus inter scapularis), is 

 said by Dr G-adow to run so fast that scarcely 

 anything but its shadow is seen. During this 

 time, it is to be noted, the tail is rolled upwards, 

 and not trailed as in crawling. It is a sand- 

 burrowing species, and occurs in Transcaspia. But 

 instances of extreme agility displayed by lizards 

 could be found in plenty. Accordingly space 

 can be found here only for such cases as call for 

 special comment. Most lizards, in running, do 

 so upon all four legs ; a few species, however, 

 serve to form exceptions to this rule of a 

 somewhat remarkable character, inasmuch as 

 for short distances at least, they do so upon 

 the hind legs only. This curious trait was 

 first brought to the notice of the scientific 

 world by Mr Saville Kent, who described its 

 occurrence in the remarkable Frilled - lizard 

 (Chlamydosaurus) King of North- Western Australia. 



