714 ME. W. SAVILLE KENT ON THE [NoV. 19, 



almost constitute a frill. It is on this account, in districts south 

 of the habitat oi' Ghlami/dosaurus, not unfrequently associated 

 with the corresponding popular name of the Trilled Lizard. 



With respect to the natural food of Chlami/dosaurus, I observed 

 of all the living specimens that came into my possession that the 

 excreta evacuated during the first few days after their capture 

 consisted exclusively of the elytra and other hard parts of Coleoptera, 

 such insects evidently constituting their customary food. One or 

 two of the specimens captured would occasionally take a living 

 cockroach, picking it up with the protrusion of its fleshy glutinous 

 tongue. It was not found possible to induce any of the captured 

 examples to take other than living food voluntarily, but on very 

 slight provocation they would open their mouths, and on pieces of 

 raw meat being then placed inside them they masticated and 

 swallowed it Avitli apparent relish, and throve for many weeks on 

 this artificially substituted diet. 



Individual specimens of Chlamydosaurus exhibited a considerable 

 diversity of temperament — some of them being exceedingly quiet, 

 and others, males more particularly, most distinctly aggressive. 

 One or two examples, when first captured, would, when approached, 

 spring up and seize any presented object. What was more 

 remarkable, however, was the general habit they manifested, if 

 much excited, of standing at bay wdth open mouths and erected 

 frills, uttering a hoarse, hissing noise, and lashing whip-wise at the 

 intruder with their long, rough tails. The blows thus delivered 

 were dealt with such vigour as to smartly sting the hand if 

 exposed to the impact. The flagellating method of attack mani- 

 fested by this Lizard no doubt proves very disconcerting to a 

 foe previously unfamiliar with the animal's peculiar aggressive 

 tactics. 



The habits of Chlamydosaurus were found to be essentially 

 diurnal — all the specimens kept in captivity retiring to rest on 

 the approach of sunset, usually choosing for this purpose a 

 vertical position, head uppermost, at the side of their cage or on 

 an introduced tree-stump. The living specimens exhibited some 

 amount of individual variation in colour, and more especially with 

 relation to the membranous frill. The lower moiety of this 

 structure was always more brightly coloured than the integument of 

 the general surface of the body, and, in the males more particularly, 

 was ornamented with a mosaic-like pattern in which orange, 

 vermilion, steel-blue, and shades of brown were variously inter- 

 blended. These tints, unfortunately, usually fade out of preserved 

 skins, but in some instances faint indications of their original 

 variegation may be retained. The coloured illustration that 

 accompanies this communication (see Plate XLI.) has been repro- 

 duced from a water-colour sketch from life made by me of a 

 Roebuck Bay example, amalgamated with an excellent lithograph of 

 the animal that appeared in the issue of the ' Field ' quoted below. 



The most remarkable phenomenon concerning the habits of 

 Chlamydosaurus that I have to place on record in this communication 



