J3 6 LIZARDS. 



il 



among the entire suborder to which it belongs in being a marine creature, 

 subsisting on seaweeds. 



Agreeing with the great majority of that section of the family characterised 

 by the presence of pores on the thighs in the fourth hind- toe being longer than the 

 third, the sea-lizard, together with the terrestrial species inhabiting the same islands, 

 differs from all the rest in that the front teeth resemble those of the cheek-series in 

 having three-cusped crowns, so that the entire set of teeth is uniform in character. 

 From its terrestrial ally, the sea-lizard (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) is distinguished 

 by its much compressed and crested tail, as well as by the presence of an incipient 



GALAPAGOS SEA-LIZARD ( nat. size). 



web between the toes. This lizard is the largest member of the family, and attains 

 a total length of some 53 inches. It is characterised by the compressed form of the 

 body and tail, and the extremely short and truncated head. A well-marked crest 

 runs from the nape of the neck to the tip of the tail, and the whole build of the 

 animal is stout and " chubby." The throat is devoid of a pouch, although it has 

 a well-marked transverse fold, and the toes are laterally compressed. In the small 

 and convex head the nostrils are situated near the end of the muzzle, the eye and 

 aperture of the ear are alil^e small, and the upper surface is surmounted by a 

 number of conical spine-like shields of relatively large size. The investing scales 

 of the body are small, and although keeled on the back, are smooth below. In the 

 stoutly-made limbs the toes are rather short, the third one in the hind-foot being 



