42 



GOULD'S MONITOR. 



population, that the little hermit crab, which is found so plentifully in periwinkle shells, is the 

 young of the lobster before it is big and hard enough to have a shell of its own. 



It is almost always found in the water, though it sometimes makes exclusions on land 

 in search of prey. To the natives it is a most useful creature, being one of the appointed 

 means for keeping the numbers of the crocodile within due bounds It not only searches on 

 land for the eggs of the crocodile, and thus destroys great numbers before they are hatched, 

 but chases the young in the water, through which it swims with great speed and agility, 

 and devours them unless they can take refuge under the adult of their own species, from 

 whose protection the Monitor will not venture to take them. 



.NILOTIC MONITOR.— Monitor ititiitK-m,. 



When full grown, the Nilotic Monitor attains a length of live or six feet. The color 

 of this species is olive-gray above, with blackish mottlings. The head is gray, and in the 

 young animal, is marked with concentric rows of white spots. Upon the back of the neck is a 

 series of whitish-yellow bands, of a horse-shoe, or semilunar shape, set crosswise, which, 

 together with the equal-sized scales over the eyes, serve as marks which readily distinguish it 

 from many other species. The under parts are gray, with cross bands of black, and marked 

 with white spots when young. 



Specimens belonging to this genus are scattered over the greater part of the world. For 

 example, the Indian Monitor {Monitor draccBna) is found in the country from which it takes 

 its name. It is rather a prettily marked animal, being brown with black spots when old, and 

 yellow eye-like marks when young. Another species, Gould's Monitor {Monitor govZdii), 

 inhabits Australia, being most commonly found on the western side of the land. 



