ORDER SAURIA. 203 



monitor, varied with white stripes, spots, and patches, on a 

 black ground, to which Dr. Leach has given the epithet 

 pulcher; the figure will sufficiently display the arrangements of 

 the colours of the species and the general appearance of the genus. 



The Drac.ena of Lacepede, which must not be confounded 

 with the dracaena of Linnseus, and still less with the dragon, 

 constitutes a genus first established by the naturalist just 

 mentioned. In addition to what is so briefly dwelt on in 

 the text, we shall say that its distinctive characters are large 

 scales, elevated with ridges like those of the crocodile, 

 scattered over the back, and forming crests upon the tail. 

 The teeth are conical, those in the bottom of the mouth 

 being thick, and having the crowns rounded. The tail is 

 round at the base, and compressed at the extremity. Be- 

 tv/een the principal scaly plates on the back and flanks, 

 are several very small and rounded scales. The tongue is 

 forked, and the tympanum apparent. 



This saurian, the Monitor Crocodilinus of Merren, Ada of 

 Gray, inhabits many regions of South America, Guiana more 

 especially, where it is however comparatively rare. It re- 

 sembles the crocodile as to form, but bears no similarity to 

 it in its habits. It swims with some degree of difficulty, 

 runs with tolerable swiftness, and climbs trees with great 

 nimbleness and dexterity. It sometimes preys upon such 

 animals as it meets with in the Avoods, frequents the inundated 

 savannahs and marshy soils of its native regions, though it 

 more generally sojourns on land and in the sun, than in the 

 water. Our figure is from a specimen in the British Museum. 



There is very considerable difficulty in taking it, because 

 it conceals itself in burrows, and bites desperately. Its 

 flesh is eaten, and reported to be no small dehcacy. Its 

 eggs are also in high estimation at Cayenne, and each female 

 usually lays several dozens of them. The length of this 

 reptile is generally from four to six feet. 



