10 



LlZARDS.- 



-REPTILES.- 



-Slendkr-tongued Lizakds. 



THE CAITETEPONS, or IIeloderms (Hdodci-inidcv), 

 have been separated from the Monitors, and form a 

 family by themselves ; though as yet only one species 



tl,e RofGil Caltetepon [Hdoderma horridwu), 



fig. 3— has been discovered belonging to it ; it is rare 

 in collections, and is a native of Mexico. The body 



and head are covered with large convex scales, anil 

 the teeth, unlike those of other Saurians, have a groove 

 behind, like tlie fangs of serpents. Hernandez, in his 

 "History of the Plants and Animals of New Spain," 

 was the first to make us acquainted with this curious 

 animal. He describes it as " a terrific kind of lizard. 



The Knugh Caltetepon fHeloderma horridum). 



called Scorpiiia by llic natives, two ells in lengtli, with 

 a long tail, short legs, a broad, red, and bifid tongue, 

 which it sometimes rolls about, and a twisted head ; 

 heavy and slow of motion, and covered with a hard 

 skin variegated with brown and white spots, like small 

 pearls or the seeds of the Lithospcrimmi, wliich, from 

 the hinder legs to the extremity of the head, are dis- 



Fig. 4 



The Common Teguexin (Teius Tegiiexin). 



posed in various forms, but on the tail form rings, 

 chicHy of a brownish colour, which also surround the 

 body transversely at intervals." " The bite of this 

 animal," he adds, " is hurtful, but by no means deadly, 

 so that it is more horrid to the sight than in reality, 

 and attacks nobody unless injured or irritated." The 

 Bosh of this animal, he further informs us, was con- 



sidered by the natives of New S]iain as an aphrodisiac, 

 and prized as nnich as that of tlie scink was in the 

 East. 



THE SATEGUARDS {S(iuve.-(iardes of the French 

 authors), or Ti.0UEXlN.s (Teidce), have also been de- 

 scribed by many authors under the name of Monitors, 

 and no little confusion has in consequence been created. 

 The name, no doubt, has originate d 

 in the same belief that these animals 

 were useful to man, in giving warning 

 of the approach of the crocodile oi' 

 alligator. By retaining tlie name of 

 Monitors for the first group, the con - 

 fusion will be removed by assigning 

 to the latter the name of Teguexins, 

 a name given to one of the species by 

 the Indians of South America. In 

 tliis fiimily the head is covered wirli 

 large regular shields, whilst the inte- 

 guments of the back and limbs have 

 only small scales, which are not dis- 

 posed in tile fashion, but in trans- 

 I'erse bands. The skin of the throat 

 generally forms two or three simple 

 transverse folds. The tongue is long, 

 flat, extensile, and only occasionally 

 sheathed at tlie base. The legs are pretty strong, and 

 the tail is usually rounded. The species belonging to 

 this family are all natives of the warm parts of the 

 New World, and some of them grow to a considerable 

 size, reaching the length of four or five feet. 



THE COMMON TEGUEXIN {Tchis T(!jiiem)i)—{ig. -i 

 —is Ihu bchl known. It is a native of the greater por- 



