TPIE LIZARDS 119 



change its hunting to another bough — possibly to an- 

 other tree — and it leaps forward. The flj'ing mem- 

 branes are widely dilated and flash with colors that rival 

 the wings of a beautiful butterfly — indeed, as the crea- 

 ture leaps, the idea of a brightly-colored insect is at once 

 suggested. It gracefully scales at a downward angle, 

 then reaching the desired spot instantly closes its aero- 

 planes and scampers or hops away, the motions being 

 much like those of the New World Anoles. At no time 

 does the lizard actually fly, the wings merely serving it 

 like a parachute. 



The "wings" of the Flying Dragons are spread in 

 the same fashion as the "hood" of the cobra-de-capello 

 and other serpents that flatten the anterior part of the 

 body. Among the geckos we have already noted the 

 use of membranous skin at the sides of the body to 

 serve in the fashion of a parachute, though with those 

 lizards the apparatus was not so perfected — not involv- 

 ing a special development of the ribs. 



Before the army of lizards, many grotesque of form, 

 others singularly beautiful in coloration, has passed in 

 array before the student, the latter must be confused 

 by the aggregation of scaly wonders; yet of the stran- 

 gest forms, the Flying "Dragons" attract instant atten- 

 tion. Museum specimens look more suitable to be 

 placed on slender insect pins than in preserving jars. 

 With the membranes spread, the lizards appear mostly 

 wings — the slender limbs and delicately tapering tail 

 seeming quite supplementary. 



Draco volans grows nearly a foot long, but the body 

 and tail are so slender the animal seems much smaller. 

 There are three pointed, flaplike processes on the throat, 

 the center one very long and slender. The length and 

 shape of these throat "fans" greatly vary with the dif- 



