Knox. — On Naultinus pacificus, Gray. 307 



Art. 'K.^'KYl.— Observations on Naultinus pacificus, Gray. 

 By F. J. Knox, L.RC.S.E. 

 \^Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 29^/i January, 1872.] 

 On the 20th October, 1869, a neighbour brought me a lizard incarcerated in a 

 gin-bottle. The prisoner was extremely restless, and my friend stated as a 

 caution that when captured it was very lively, offering a spirited resistance. 

 After a week's imprisonment, on 28th October, I determined to improve the 

 condition of the prisoner, having previously prepared a more suitable habita- 

 tion for him, but having to break the bottle, in the struggle the tail was 

 detached from the body precisely at the apparent junction with the sacrum, at 

 what is generally called the " setting on of the tail." On being secured in his 

 new residence (still, of course, a prisoner) he did not appear conscious of the 

 loss of his caudal extremity, but surveyed every corner for the means of 

 escape. As bearing on the feeding habits of this lizard I may state that 

 small portions of flesh were put beside him, and an active blue-bottle fly 

 having fancied the raw meat was suddenly struck by the lizard with the 

 rapidity of lightning, and with a force which crippled it. During his 

 efforts to regain his liberty he frequently, I could observe, licked with his 

 tongue the entire surface of the face, including the eyes. Three days after 

 the accident the lizard appeared dull, but when disturbed still only anxious 

 to obtain his freedom. The stump where the tail was detached was swollen 

 and evidently painful. He refused all food, but was still active till the 

 seventh day, and on the eighth died. 



On dissection he proved to be a male, the generative organs not active. 



SKELETOJSr. 



26 



Vertebrae — body 

 sacral 

 caudal 



Ribs 



Total 



29 



63 

 26 



Weight, recent, 156 grs. ; weight of skeleton, 18 grs. j and of soft parts 

 138 grs. 



It has been stated that when the tail of a lizard has been amputated the 

 detached portion will be reproduced in its entirety. Scientific men will 

 naturally require minute details of such an experiment, with reliable authority. 

 We have shown in the preceding article that the tail of the Naultinus pacificus 

 was separated (not amputated), and it will be seen that the place where the 

 separation took place presented no appearance of laceration or cutting, with 

 the exception of the spinal cord. The gi*eatest care and attention was 

 bestowed upon the lizard, but unmistakeable symptoms of the injury ex- 

 hibited themselves, and death rapidly followed. 



