LixED Anolis.- 



-REPTILES.- 



-Tapayaxin. 



edged with black, extends from each eye to the sides 

 of the bacli, and then blends with the general tint. 

 Not much is known of the habits of this animal ; but 

 we do know tliat, notwithstanding its formidable name 

 and asjiect, it is very harmless, and that it chiefly lives 

 npon grain and vegetables. Though its life is for the 

 most part spent on trees, like the other species of this 

 groii[i, it often takes to the water like the Guana, for 

 which I u pose its compressed tail and partially webbed 

 toes admirably adapt it. It is a native of Guiana, 

 Martinique, and Vera Cruz. 



The last of the perchers we shall mention are the 

 Anolis. The genus Anolius of former authors con- 

 tained numerous species, some of which are very rare in 

 collections. Distinctions which used to be considered 

 only specific, have of late been thought of suflicient 

 importance to establish generic divisions ; and these 

 genera are now numerous enough to form a small sub- 

 family Anoliina. The members of this little group 

 are characterized by their having the toes dilated 

 under the last joint but one into a rather broad plate, 

 which is covered underneath with small transverse 

 scales, like the Geckos, and which assist them in climb- 

 ing trees. Their throat pouch is distinct, of consider- 

 able size, and largely dilatable. The back, in many of 

 the species, is furnished with a crest, which is prolonged 

 to the extremity of the tail. In others it is simple, or 

 only furnished with a slight crest of small scales. The 

 tail is long, swollen at intervals, and crested. 



The Anolis are animals which live chiefly upon trees 

 and shrubs, and feed upon insects, fruits, and berries. 

 Their skin is generally of a green hue ; and, like the 

 chameleons, they have the power of changing their 

 colours quickly. They are lively creatures, run quickly, 

 and leap with agility from one branch to another. 

 They bite rather fiercely if laid hold of, but their bite 

 is not attended witli any bad results. 



THE IINED ANOLIS {Anolius lineatus) is one of 

 the species which have the crest well marked and 

 extending all along the back, and is a native of the 

 island of Martinique, and probably several other of 

 the West India islands. It is of a gray colour, and 

 the body is marked with two interrupted black 

 streaks on each side. Tlie throat pouch is large, 

 and marked with a large black spot, and the tail is 

 long and compressed. Father Nicholson, the Jesuit, 

 has given an account of this little Anolis in his 

 " Natural history of the island of St. Domingo." It is 

 very lively, he says, and is a bold litt'e creature ; it is 

 so familiar that it walks without fear into apartments, 

 creeping up on the tables, and even walking over the 

 guests seated at them. Its attitude is graceful, and it 

 looks steadfastly, observing everything around it with 

 such a degree of attention, that one would almost 

 believe it was listening to what was said. It feeds 

 npon flies, spiders, and other insects, which it swallows 

 entire. These Anolis often fight with each other. 

 "\Mien two of them commence an attack," says 

 Nicholson, "they come forward boldy and proudly, 

 and seem to menace each other, by rapidly shaking 

 their beads. Their throat swells, their eyes sparkle ; 

 they seize each other with fury, and fight savagely. 

 Several other individuals are generally spectators "of 



these combats, and perhaps these witnesses of their 

 prowess are the females which become the piize of 

 the victor. The weaker of the two combatants, when 

 worsted, takes to flight ; its opponent follows up ita 

 victory, and if it can overtake it, quickly devours it ; 

 sometimes, however, it only gets hold of its tail, which 

 snaps off' in its mouth, and which it stops to swallow, 

 thus allowing time for the wretched caitiff to escape." 



THE ANOLIS OF CAROLINA, TiiE Green Lizard 

 OF Carolina of Catesby [Anolius principalis), has no 

 crest on the back, and its tail is rounded, thick at the 

 base, and furnished with a central series of larger, more 

 keeled scales above. Catesby, in his " Natural History 

 of Carolina," says, " These Lizards are usually about 

 five inches long, of a dusky-green colour. They fre- 

 quent houses, are familiar and harmless, and are suflfered 

 with impunity to sport and catch flies on tables and 

 windows, which they do very dexterously, and no less 

 divertingly. They appear chiefly in summer, and at 

 the approach of cold weather they retreat to their 

 winter recesses, and lie torpid in the hollows and 

 crevices of rotten trees. These lizards change their 

 colour in some measure like the chameleon, for in a 

 hot day their colour has been a bright green ; the next 

 day clianging cold, the same lizard appeared brown. 

 They are a prey to cats and ravenous birds. It fre- 

 qnently happens that a few warm sunshiny days bo 

 invigorate them that they will come out of their 

 winter retirements and appear abroad ; when on a 

 sudden the weather changing to cold so enfeebles 

 them that they are incapacitated to creep to their 

 winter holes, and die of cold." 



In the second gi'OU]i, or those whose habits are 

 terrestrial, the body is subtrigonal, covered wiili large 

 keeled scales directed obliquely towards the back. 



THE LION LIZARD [Lemcephalus Schrkheisii), one 

 of these, has been described by Catesby. The crest of 

 the back and tail in this species is very small, the tail 

 is roundish, slightly compressed ; and, unlike the pre- 

 ceding species, the animals do not change colour, 

 nor do they dilate their throat. The Lion Lizard, 

 according to Catesby, is usually about five or six 

 inches long. It is of a gray colour, streaked with lines 

 of a lighter gray ; the legs are long. " It cocks its tail 

 with a round twirl, and looks fierce, from which it 

 may perhaps liave taken its English name. They are 

 inoffensive, frequenting the rocks on the sea-shores of 

 Cuba, Hispaniola, &c. They are nimble, and run 

 with surprising swiftness, yet are a prey to sea-grdls 

 and other ravenous birds." 



THE TAPAYAXIN of Mexico {Phrynosoma orhicuhire) 

 — fig. 9— another, and a singular-looking species, has 

 been quaintly described by Hernandez in his " Natural 

 Histor}' of New Spain." The body of the animal is 

 short, oval, very flat, and has on each side a scaly 

 ridge, but no crest either on back or tail. The upper 

 parts of the body are rough with tubercles. The limbs 

 are very short, and the tail, not the length of the body, 

 is flat and broad at the root. Hernandez, who was 

 tlie first author that has mentioned this reptile, thus 

 describes it: — "Amongst the different varieties of the 

 lizard, is apparently the Tapayaxin, although it has 

 always the body of an orbicular shape and flat, rcsL-m- 



