544 LACERTAE CHAP. 



Southern China, inclusive of the Malay Islands and the Philip- 

 pines. This is the largest species, specimens of 7 feet in 

 length being on record. The general colour is dark brown or 

 blackish above, with yellow spots or ocelli. The snout and chin 

 have transverse black lines on a lighter ground. A black band, 

 bordered with yellow, extends from the eye along the side of the 

 neck. The under parts are yellow. 



Mr. Annandale has favoured me with the following observa- 

 tions : " Varanus salvator is common in Lower Siam, where it is 

 equally at home on land, in water, and among the branches of 

 trees. The eggs are laid in hollow tree-trunks. When in the 

 water the lizard swims beneath the surface, the legs being closely 

 applied to the sides, and the tail functioning both as oar and 

 as rudder. Their food is very varied. In the states of Patalung 

 and Singora, in which the Siamese practise a form of tree-burial, 

 these great lizards are accused, probably with justice, of eating 

 the flesh of the corpses in the aerial coffins. I have disturbed a 

 large Monitor devouring the body of one of its own species, which 

 had evidently been dead for some days. Another, which was 

 chased by some men, dropped from its mouth a small flying 

 squirrel (Sciuropterus) ; a third, which I dissected, had lately 

 swallowed a small tortoise, the hard shell of which had been 

 broken into innumerable fragments. The stomachs of several 

 others contained nothing but dung-beetles, for which Varanus 

 may often be seen hunting, turning over the dung of elephants 

 and buffaloes with its fore-feet. The Malay name of these lizards 

 is Biawak." 



According to Mason and Theobald l all the Varanidae and their 

 eggs are highly esteemed for food, and are sought for in hollow 

 trees with the aid of dogs. If not wanted at once, the wretched 

 creature has its fore-feet bent over its back, a few of its toes are 

 broken and the sinews drawn out and tied into a knot, rendering 

 the animal helpless. The Karens, who are extravagantly fond of 

 the flesh, steal up the tree with a noose at the end of a bamboo, 

 and often noose them while leaping for the water, or catch them 

 in a boat which is brought under the tree. The head, the natives 

 say, is venomous, and they discard it altogether, but the flesh of 

 the other parts, which smells most odiously, is deemed preferable 

 to that of fowls. 



1 Burma, its People and Productions, London, 1882. 



