THE AMBLYRHYNCBUS, 



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rocky sea-beaches, and is never found at least, I never saw one even ten yards in shore. It 

 is a hideous-looking creature, of a dirty black colour, stupid and sluggish in its movements." The 

 usual length of a full-grown one is from a yard to four feet, and they may weigh twenty pounds. 

 These Lizards were occasionally seen some hundred yards from the shore swimming about. And 

 when in the water the animal swims with perfect ease and quickness, by a serpentine movement of 



its body and flattened tail, the legs, during this time, being motionless, and closely collapsed on 

 its sides. 



Mr. Darwin writes also : " Their limbs and strong claws are admirably adapted for crawling 

 over the rugged and fissured masses of larva, which everywhere form the coast. In such situations a 

 group of six or seven of these hideous reptiles may oftentimes be seen on the black rocks, a few feet 

 above the surf, basking in the sun with outstretched legs. I opened the stomach of several, and in 

 each case found it largely distended with minced sea-weed, of that kind which grows at the bottom 

 of the sea, at some little distance from the coast." It is very remarkable that these Sea Lizards 

 should object to be driven into the water, but such is the case. 



