150 Transactions.—Zoology. 
regularly placed, having lighter scales in the anterior angles ; a dark line 
from the lower angle of eye to that of mouth, and another from the upper 
angle of eye to over the ear; a narrow dark transverse band from eye to eye 
in front, and a cross dark band (St. Andrew’s Cross) on vertex ; below of a 
light-greyish colour with small dark spots. 
Vertex depressed; eyebrows very prominent (porrected) with 2-3 rows 
of dark pointed scales, upper row black: snout very obtuse ; on both upper 
and lower lips, 11 large greyish scales on each side of the rostral ones which 
are much larger, but the upper rostral is larger than that of the chin, and 
extends to the nostrils; two large scales immediately above the upper rostral 
one, and four similar scales around each nostril; nostrils circular; aural 
apertures oblong, large. A number of small pointed simple glassy teeth in 
both jaws; tongue roundly-spathulate, very long and extensible, thin, deeply 
emarginate, red ; the palate salmon-colour. Body narrow and round, back 
arched, not broad and flat as in N. pacificus. Toes all regularly barred with 
blackish lines; the fourth toe is the longest on each foot, and at a great dis- 
tance from the fifth one on the hind feet, the soles also of the hind pair are 
large and flat. Its tail is very prehensile, so that it can curl its tip around 
a lead pencil, or a quill, and swing thereby ; it can also hang by a single toe- 
nail (which are exceedingly sharp pointed and curved) and so remain for a 
short time; it also leaps well and fearlessly from a height of 2-3 feet. 
Length—head and body, 4 inches; tail, 43 inches =84 inches. 
Hab. In forests near Norsewood, County of Waipawa; 1883: W.C. 
Also at Glenross, County of Hawke’s Bay; 1884: Mr. D. P. Balfour. 
Obs. I obtained two fine living specimens of this lizard last summer 
while in those woods ; and one since, a smaller one, also living, from Mr. 
Balfour; this last is still living, although it has not eaten anything since I 
received it nearly six weeks back. It has only taken at intervals of several 
days a very little water, and this when I put it into a wash-hand basin to 
take a swim; when, on taking it out, it invariably licks up a few drops. 
Hitherto it has refused flies, as food, which my other lizards always 
greedily ate; and I have supposed such might be owing to its hybernating 
season not being over. It is exceedingly quiet, and rarely moves about. 
Their peculiar and regular double VV dark and variegated bands are the 
same in all three specimens ; but it is not from that fact that it derives its 
trivial name, but from a much more strange one (though not wholly unknown 
to the family), viz., it often changes its ground-colour of grey to a pink-red, 
and this it does sometimes three or four times in a day ; the cause, however, 
of its doing so is wholly unknown to me. I have often tried, by altering its 
position as to light, and to heat (sun), and also by giving it a little gentle 
shaking (in its glass house!) if I could cause it to change its colour, but I 
