86 THE TIGER LIZARD, OR GONYOCEPHALE. 



fables that were once so common respecting the formidable dragon may be found in one 

 of the huge saurians of the ancient days, which had survived its comrades, and preserved 

 its existence upon the earth after man had been placed upon this planet. 



The most conspicuous characteristic of this reptile is the singularly developed membra- 

 nous lobes on either side, which are strengthened by certain slender processes from 

 the first six false ribs, and serve to support the animal during its bold leaps from 

 branch to branch. Many of the previously mentioned Lizards are admirable leapers, 

 but they are all outdone by the Dragon, which is able, by means of the membranous 

 parachute with which it is furnished, to sweep through distances of thirty paces, the 

 so-called flight being almost identical with that of the flying squirrels and flying fish. 



When the Dragon is at rest, or even when traversing the branches of trees, the 

 parachute lies in folds along the sides, but when it prepares to leap from one bough to 

 another, it spreads its winged sides, launches boldly into the air, and sails easily, with 

 a slight fluttering of the wings, towards the point on which it had fixed, looking almost 

 like a stray leaf blown by the breeze. As if in order to make itself still more buoyant, 

 it inflates the three membranous sacs that depend from its throat, suffering them to 

 collapse again when it has settled upon the branch. It is a perfect harmless creature, 

 and can be handled with impunity. The food of the flying Dragon consists of insects. 



The color of this reptile is variable, but is usually as follows : the upper surface is gray 

 with a tinge of olive, and daubed or mottled with brown. Several stripes of gray- 

 ish white are sometimes seen upon the wings, which are also ornamentedwith an angu- 

 lar network of dark blackish brown. Sometimes the black is rather plentiful upon the 

 wings, forming four or five oblique bands near the edge. It is a small creature, 

 measuring only a few inches in length. 



The FRINGED DRAGON is mostly found in Sumatra, where it seems to be tolerably com- 

 mon. In habits, and in general appearance, this reptile bears a great resemblance to 

 the preceding species, from which, however, it may be known by the conspicuous black 

 spots on its wings, each spot being surrounded with a ring of white. The head is gray- 

 ish white, covered with an irregular network of dark brown, and on the throat are a 

 number of circular specks covered with granular scales. Upon the under parts of the 

 male, the scales are rather large and keeled, and upon the wing are a number of 

 rather short white dashes of a partly triangular shape. Along the sides runs a series 

 of small triangular keeled scales. 



Besides these species there are several other flying Dragons, all inhabiting similar 

 localities. They are divided into genera on account of the different structure of the 

 ear and the position of the nostrils. The tail of all the Dragon Lizards is extremely 

 long, and very slenderly formed. 



A VERY curious reptile of this family deserves a passing notice. This is the TIGER 

 LIZARD, or GONYOCEPHALE (Gonyocephalus chameleontina), a native of Java. This creat- 

 ure is remarkable for the high and deeply toothed crest which runs along the nape 

 of the neck, like the crest of an ancient helmet, and far overtops the head, although the 

 upper part of the skull is much raised by an enlargement of the orbits. A large but 

 compressed pouch hangs from the lower jaw and throat, and is prolonged so as to 

 form an angular fold just before the shoulder. A toothed crest runs along the back, 

 but is barely one quarter the height of that which passes over the nape, and the tail is 

 long and compressed. The color of this Lizard is green, with variable streaks and 

 scribblings of black, and the legs are deeply banded. The Tiger Lizard sometimes 

 attains a length of three feet. 



The Lizards of this family are remarkable for the extraordinary modifications of form 

 which they exhibit. In one species, such as the tiger Lizard, a row of long spike-like 

 scales is raised upon the neck, in the dragons the skin of the sides is dilated to an 

 enormous extent, and even the ribs are drawn out like wire and turned out of their usual 

 course to support the membranous expansion, and in the FRILLED LIZARD the neck is 

 furnished with a large plaited membrane on each side, forming a most remarkable 

 appendage to the animal without any apparent object. 



