MONITORS. 



149 



torpid during part of the latter period. Their food comprises insects, worms, 

 myriapods, and small frogs, as well as the eggs of iguanas. Regarding the effects 

 of their bite, Sir J. Fayrer writes that he once saw two guinea-pigs bitten by 

 one of these lizards. " The bites were viciously inflicted, and the lizard did not 

 really relinquish its hold. Blood was drawn, the teeth being deeply inserted. 

 Both guinea-pigs were affected; the bitten limb was dragged, and appeared 

 partially paralysed. There were twitchings of the body generally ; but these may 

 not have been due to the poison, but to agitation and fear." Both the unfortunate 

 rodents died in the course of the day. Another of these lizards once bit its 



ARIZONA POISONOUS LIZARD (\ nat. size). 



owner, who was incautiously handling it, with very severe effects, which did not, 

 however, prove fatal. The poison is secreted in special glands situated near the 

 roots of the teeth. 



THE MONITORS. 

 Family VARANIDJE. 



No better instance of the essential difference in the distribution of lizards as 

 compared with tortoises is afforded than by those lizards commonly known as 

 monitors. The tortoises of Australia, as we have already seen, belong to a different 

 suborder from those of India, while there are no genera common to Australia and 

 Africa. The monitors, all of which are included in the single genus Varanus, are, 



