BIBRON'S GERRHOSAURUS. 51 



yellow on the back, sides, and tail, fading into yellow on the head, and white on the under 

 parts. This species may be distingnished from the other Cordyles by the smooth shields of 

 the head and the rhomboidal-shaped scales of the back, which are larger in the centre than on 

 the sides, and decidedly keeled. On the flanks the keels are so long as to become spines, and 

 the sides of the neck are covered with sharp spine-like scales. 



The False Cordyle is placed in a separate genus, on account of the: shape and size of 

 the scales upon the back and sides. Instead of being large and tolerably even in size, as in 

 the preceding genus, they are very small and granular, alternating with bands of larger scales, 

 which ai'e three-sided, convex, and slightly keeled. These scales are largest on the sides of 

 the back. The generic name Microlepidotus signifies small-scaled, and is given to these creat- 

 ures in allusion to the minute scales of the back and sides. 



The habits of tliis reptile are much like those of the previous species. Dr. A. Smith 

 writes as follows respecting this creature, after describing the singular variations of color to 

 wliich it is subject : — 



"Each of the varieties appeared to be restricted to its own localities, and, so far as my 

 observations extend, no specimens of two varieties are ever found in the same localities. All 

 the varieties inhabit i"ocky situations ; and, when they have a choice, they invariably prefer 

 precipices and the stony walls of difficultly accessible ravines. In this situation they wander 

 carelessly, in search of food or Avarmth, unless alarmed Ijy what they may regard as enemies. 

 On being closely approached in their retreats, they are with difficulty captured, as, by aid of 

 the prominences on the hinder edge of each temple, they hold on with a tenacity which is 

 quite surprising ; and by them they occasionally olfer such an efl'ectual resistance to the force 

 applied from behind, that the tail breaks off from the body before the reptile is secured." 



As, in Dr. Smith's work, the description of the different varieties occupy nearly five quarto 

 r)ages of letter-press, it is evidently impossible to give more than a general description in this 

 volume. Suffice it to say, that in one variety, found on the Table Mountain and about Cape 

 Town, the color is ochry -yellow above, banded with dark bi'own ; in another, which inhabits 

 the rocks about Algoa Bay, it is yellow, with bold, black bars along the back ; another, which 

 lives on the banks of the Orange River, is brown above, warming into bright chestnut in the 

 male, and olive-gi'een mottled with dusky black in the female ; and a fourth variety, which is 

 found in the high, mountainous regions about Natal, is bright green, with an olive-green stripe 

 and short bars of the same tint across the back. The tail is also banded with two shades of 

 green, one a deej) olive, and the other having a much yellower hue. The female of this variety 

 is without the bands, and is only mottled with dark olive, and spotted with the same hue along 

 the sides. The length of the False Cordyle is about eighteen inches. 



A SMALL group of reptiles is collected under the generic title of Gerrhosauri, or Basket- 

 Lizards, because the arrangement of their scales and coloring has an effect as if the body 

 had been covered with delicate wicker-work, such as is employed to protect glass flasks from 

 injury. 



These Lizards are natives of Southern Africa, where they are far from uncommon. They 

 are aU rather pretty in form and coloring, but the most pleasing in general appearance is 

 Bibron's Gekrhosaurus [Gerrhosaurus bibroni). This animal is found near the Orange 

 River, and may be seen slipjiing about among the rocky sides of the dark ravines that are so 

 plentiful in that neighborhood. It is a very shy and timid creature, and if it fancies itself 

 watched by an unfi'iendly eye, or suspects the least shadow of danger, it quietly glides under 

 the heap of dead wood and dried leaves which collect in abundance in such localities, and will 

 not venture out again until it is tolerably sm-e that the danger has j)assed away. 



As in the case with most of these Lizards, there is considerable variation of coloring, but 

 in general the iqjper surface is dark brown, and the sides of the head, the throat, and front 

 of the fore limbs are bright scarlet. Along the back run four yellow lines, of which the two 

 central only extend as far as the hind legs, whereas the two outer streaks are continued to the 

 extremity of the tail. It is not a large species, being about ten or twelve inches in length. 



