THE VENUS LIZARD. 143 



the species may be worthy of being related. One 

 day in February, having ascended the ridge with a 

 companion, my attention was arrested by a Lizard 

 about a foot long, and of a lively green colour, on 

 the trunk of a small tree, head downward, intently 

 watching our motions as we stood near. My young 

 friend suggested the possibility of capturing it by 

 slipping a noose over its head, while its attention was 

 engaged by whistling. I laughingly proceeded to try 

 the spell ; and having made a noose of small twine, 

 which I tied to the end of a switch, I gently walked 

 towards him, whistling a lively tune. To my astonish- 

 ment he allowed ne to slip the noose over his head, 

 merely glancing hu bright eye at the string as it 

 passed. I jerked the switch ; the music ceased ; and 

 the green-coated forester was sprawling in the air, 

 dangling, greatly to his annoyance, at the end of my 

 string. He was very savage, biting at every thing 

 near ; presently his colour began to change from 

 green to blackish, till it was of an uniform bluish 

 black with darker bands on the body *, and a 

 brownish black on the tail : the only trace of green 



* As published des.ilptlons of tropical reptiles are commonly 

 made from specimens in spirits, with the colours and even the forms 

 greatly altered, I may be excused for the following note made on the 

 species during life. The length of adult males varies considerably, 

 from 13 to 18 inches, but I have invariably found the difference to 

 lie in the tail, the body being always about 5 inches, the tail varying 

 from 7 to 12 inches. The colour, when the animal is not excited, is 

 brilliant yellow-green ; the hind half of the tail pale grey ; the goitre 

 orange, set with longitudinal rows of separated pale-yellow scales; 

 the edges of the eyelids white. In some specimens the body, tail, 

 and limbs are marked with transverse bands of a bluer green, those on 

 the trunk more slender and oblique. (See Plate IV.) 



