IGUANOID GROUP. 13 T 



the young, but in the adult has well-marked frontal ridges, and some large rough 

 shields on the crown ; and the appendage on the throat of the males is relatively 

 small. The body is not compressed, flat beneath, and not keeled above ; the scales 

 on its upper and lower surfaces being keeled and approaching an hexagonal 

 form, with their edges either in apposition or slightly overlapping. The tail is 

 cylindrical and tapering, with some slightly enlarged scales on its upper surface, 

 and nearly equal to twice the length of the head and body. In the living animal 

 the colour of the upper surface is brilliant metallic green, and that of the under- 

 parts silvery white ; the appendage on the throat of the males, which is covered 

 with white scales, is red ; there is a large blue eye-like spot above the axil of the 

 fore-limb ; and the region of the tail is ornamented with black markings. In 

 some specimens the green colour passes more or less distinctly into brownish or 

 brown ; and, when excited, the creature is able to change its general hue from 

 greenish grey, through dark grey and brown of all shades, to the ordinary metallic 

 green. In length this lizard varies from 5 J to nearly 9 inches, according to sex ; 

 fully two-thirds of these dimensions being taken up by the tail. 



In Louisiana, Carolina, and Cuba, the red-throated anolis is one of the' most 

 common of lizards, and may be noticed in all suitable spots, such as woods and 

 garden-hedges, as well as the exteriors, and sometimes also the interiors of 

 dwelling-houses. Like their congeners, they are, however, to be met with most 

 abundantly in the deep woods, and then so closely do they assimilate to their 

 surroundings that their presence, when at rest on a bough, is generally only 

 revealed by their brilliant eyes. In houses, these lizards exhibit but little fear of 

 man, running about with the greatest unconcern in search of flies and other 

 insects ; and as, in addition to gnats, flies, butterflies, beetles, and spiders, they kill 

 and eat wasps, scorpions, and other noxious creatures, their visits are encouraged. 

 In motion throughout the day, they display extreme activity and speed, both when 

 hunting among the foliage of trees or on the ground, pouncing upon their insect- 

 prey like a cat upon a mouse. In the spring, during the breeding-season, the 

 males display great jealousy of one another, so much so, indeed, that when two 

 meet, a combat is certain to ensue, and is often continued till one of the combatants 

 has lost its tail, which appears to be taken as an immediate sign of defeat. During 

 these battles the appendage on the throat is inflated, and the changes of colour 

 are more rapid than at any other time. With the advent of summer, these mutual 

 animosities are, however, forgotten, and these lizards dwell together in perfect 

 amity, sometimes collecting in large companies. The females of some of the species 

 are stated to dig a hole for the reception of their few white eggs with their fore- 

 paws, at the foot of a tree or in some moist spot near a wall, afterwards carefully 

 covering them with soil to protect them from the sun's rays. The figured kind is, 

 however, said to be very careless in regard to the place where its eggs are 

 deposited ; these being found either on bare sand or rocks, or even in rooms. The 

 red-throated anolis, like most of its kindred, can be readily tamed, and makes a 

 most charming pet, which can be without much difficulty transported to Europe. 

 Writing of a pair which were at one time in his possession, Bell says that " I was 

 in the habit of feeding them with flies and other insects, and having one day 

 placed in the cage with them a very large garden-spider, one of the lizards darted 



