78 THE MAEINE OEEOCEPHALE. 



The Iguana is capable of domestication, and can be tamed without much difficulty by 

 those who are kind to it and accustom it to their presence. It will even permit itself to 

 be carried about in its owner's arms, though it will not permit a stranger to approach. 



The general aspect of the Iguana is most remarkable, and can perhaps be better under- 

 stood by reference to the illustration than by any lengthened description. Suffice it to say 

 that the head is rather large, and covered above with large scales. The mouth is enor- 

 mously \vide, and studded around the edge with those singularly shaped teeth which have 

 already been described. About the angles of the jaw there are generally some large, 

 solitary, rounded scales. The chin is furnished with a kind of dewlap, large, baggy, and 

 capable of being ^nflated at the will of the animal, scaly, and edged in front with a TOW of 

 bold, tooth-like projections. The sides of the neck are covered with tubercles. The tail 

 is extremely long, and very thin and tapering. The usual colour of the Iguana is dark 

 olive-green, but is rather variable even in the same individual, being affected by change of 

 weather, or locality, or temper. On the sides a few brown bands are generally seen, and 

 the tail is marked with brown and green of various tones, the two colours being arranged 

 in alternate rings. The average length of the Iguana is about four feet, but it often 

 attains a much greater size, reaching a length of six feet or a little more. 



The NAKED-NECKED IGUANA was long confounded with the preceding species, bearing 

 a great resemblance to that reptile in colour, form, and habit, and being found in the same 

 localities. It can, however, be readily distinguished from the common Iguana by the 

 absence of tubercles upon the sides of the neck. Along each side of the lower jaw runs a 

 series of large strong scales. The general colour of this species is bluish green, darker on 

 the back than on the abdomen. Its flesh is esteemed equally with that of the preceding 

 species. 



BESIDES these Iguanas, there are one or two which deseiTe a short notice, although our 

 limited space does not permit of a lengthened description. One of these animals is the 

 MAKBLED IGUANA or CAMALEAO (Pblychrus marmordtus), also a native of Brazil and 

 Central America. This species has the throat compressed into a small dewlap, and the 

 scales of the back and sides equal. There is no crest upon the back and tail. Its colour 

 is brown, mottled with bold marblings and diverging lines of a darker hue, and sometimes 

 having a slight purple gloss. 



The APLONOTE (Alopon6tus Ricardi) is another species of Iguana, having its head 

 covered with small equal many-sided plates, and its throat dilated into a small pouch 

 without the toothed projections in front. A shallow crest runs along the back and tail, 

 and the back is without scales, but covered with multitudinous granular tubercles of a 

 very small size. The tail is compressed. The colour of this species is blackish brown, 

 variegated with many spots of tawny brown. 



Another curious species is appropriately called the HOENED IGUANA (Metopoceros 

 corntitus}, deriving its name from the horn-like projections upon its head. Upon the fore- 

 head there is a large horn-like tubercle, and two pairs of large horny plates between the 

 nostrils. There is a crest upon the back, but it is veiy low between the shoulders, and 

 upon the loins it is not continuous. It inhabits St. Domingo. 



IT has already been mentioned that the Iguana possesses the power of swimming to a 

 large extent, and that it is capable of sustaining a long submersion without suffering any 

 injury. 



There is a curious species of Iguana, the MAEINE OEEOCEPHALE, which exists upon the 

 seashore, and passes a considerable portion of its time in the water. This creature was 

 first made known to science by Mr. Darwin, who found it on the coasts of the Galapagos 

 islands, and describes its habits in the following words : 



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

 movements. The usual length o-f a full-grown one is about a yard, but there are some 

 even four feet long. I have seen a large one which weighed twenty pounds. These 

 lizards are occasionally seen some hundred yards from the shore swimming about, and 



