214 



BACKBONED ANIMALS. 



and the head ornamented with spikes. They run with 

 great rapidity, and so resemble the dry ground that they 



are indistinguishable a 

 few feet away. They 

 live upon insects, and 

 are easily domesticated. 

 Allied to the iguanas is 

 the great sea-lizard of 

 the Galapagos Islands. 

 They attain a length of four 

 feet. Their tails are flattened 

 and their feet partly webbed. They 

 take to the water readily, living upon 

 sea-weed. A land species lives in 

 burrows. 



The Wall-Lizards (Geckotti- 

 dee] * are short, flattened, and slow 



* The middle of each caudal vertebra 

 has a thin cartilaginous partition. At this 

 point the tail is often broken, and eventu- 

 ally renewed, sometimes two tails growing. 

 According to Gunther, they are enabled to 

 throw off their tails spontaneously when pursued, the wriggling offcast 

 attracting the attention of the pursuer, while the gecko escapes. They 



FlG. 256. The Ameri- 

 can chameleon (Ano- 

 lis principals}. 



