Occasional Notes. 149 



stridor) and a water boa or camoodie (Eunedes 

 murinus) have been its constant associates, and it has 

 walked backwards and forwards among and upon these, 

 and the other objects in the case, with perfe6l impunity 

 during its long confinement. A little more than a year 

 ago, it was noticed that its tail was much bruised at 

 various points — it was supposed to have been thus 

 damaged by constantly striking against the wiring of 

 the cage, though it might have been caused by bites 

 from the alligator, or from rats which were placed in the 

 cage for the snakes, and with which the lizard used fre- 

 quently to fight — and soon there sprouted out from different 

 points, three supplemental tails, which grew rapidly, so 

 that now one is not much shorter than the original 

 tail. Between these new growths, three other minute 

 stumps are to be seen, and probably the reptile is destined 

 to have its extra tails, twice told. 



The two species of Salempenta can readily be dis- 

 tinguished from each other. The smaller, which reaches 

 a length of about 2^-3 ft., T. nigropundatus, has 

 hexagonal dorsal scales, though many of them appear to 

 be quadrangular on the living animal, unless very 

 closely examined ; in T. teguixin, the scales are oval, 

 In the former species, the colour is a spotted black and 

 gold, the golden tint being extremely rich and bright ; 

 in the latter species, the lighter tint approaches an 

 olive shade. 



The Wood-slave. — One so constantly meets with the 

 report of the dangerous nature of this little lizard, that it 

 seems worth while to declare, with some insistence, its 

 perfe£l harmlessness. The expanded and sucker- 



