334 



ORDERS OF REPTILES— LIZARDS 



mixture of green, black and yellow, and it may 

 be recognized at a glance I.)}' the low of long, 

 slender, fringe-like scales which rise along the 

 centre of its back. One good look at its ex- 

 tremely long and slender toes is enough to sug- 

 gest the idea that it is a climbing animal. It 

 makes its home in thick tree-tops, and feeds 

 chiefly upon fruit and soft vegetation. I can 

 testify that its flesh is palatable food, for in the 

 hungry Orinoco coinitry we ate it more than 

 once. 



Iguanas generally possess one good trait which 

 is sufficient to forever endear them to zoological 

 garden people. They are good-tempered ani- 

 mals, and ne\'er fight, no matter how many are 

 placed in one cage, nor how many species of 

 Iguanas are represented. Owing to the ease with 

 which these creatures are eajDtured, their price in 

 New York is about $2 each. 



The Marine Iguana,' or Sea-Lizard, of the 

 Galapagos Islands, is a creature of gre-ga'ri-ous 

 habits, which means the habit of flocking or as- 

 sembling together in companies of noteworthy 

 size. So far as we know, this is the ordy hzard 

 which elects to assemble in companies of se^'eral 

 hundred individuals. When Mr. R. J. Beck 

 visited Narborough Island of the Cialajiagos 

 group, in 1902, in quest of giant tortoises, he 

 found on the clean lava-bed which formed the 

 shore, a tjuly wonderful assemblage of Marine 

 Iguanas. An area of at least three acres, desti- 

 tute both of soil and vegetation, was literally 

 covered Ijy these reptiles, all wide-awake and 

 fully interested in life, but serenely waiting for 

 something to turn up. 



Owing to their lymphatic temperament, and 

 previous immunity from persecution by man, 

 these strange creatures were (juite tame, and 

 willingly ]ierniitted Mr. Heck to make the photo- 

 graph that is reproduced herewith. It rejiresents 

 one of the most wonderful views of reptilian life 

 to be found an^-where on the earth to-day. 



The Marine Iguana is a stockily built, dull- 

 colored animal, ahfiut four and one-half feet in 

 length, frugivorous in its haliits, and very much 

 at home in the water. It sulisists almost wholly 

 upon sea-weed. 



The Rhinoceros Iguana,- of the same form 

 as the preceding, l)ut much lighter in color, and 



' A ni-hli/-rhffnfchn.^ rris-lu'lus. 

 ^ M d-o-poc' e-ros cur-nu'lus. 



marked by half a dozen horny tubercles on the 

 upper surface of its head and snout, is found 

 in Ha^-ti and San Domingo. 



Leaving the large lizards, of which be it.re- 

 membered there are many interesting species in 

 the Old World, — called Monitors, — impossible to 

 mention here, we reach the small lizards, of 

 which there are a legion of species. The warm 

 and dry countries of the world literally swarm 

 with these tiny creatures, which dart over rocks 

 and fences like streaks of green or brown light. 

 If you try to catch one by its long tail, and close 

 upon it, the lizard leaves its tail between your 

 thumb and finger, as a souvenir, and gayly streaks 

 away to grow another, without loss of time! The 

 power possessed by lizards to reproduce a miss- 



BLIE-T.\ILEI) lAZXlU). 



ing tail is one of the strangest things in animal 

 growth: but it is to be observed that the second 

 edition of a lizard's tail is far from being the 

 shapely and perfect member that is seen in the 

 first. 



Many lizards, like much study, are a weari- 

 ness to the flesh ; and we will limit our exhibit 

 to a very few prominent and interesting types 

 which are well fitted to represent the entire group. 



The Blue-Tailed Lizard-' is not only a com- 

 mon species throughout a wide area of the United 

 States, but it is also rei)re.scntative of a large 

 number of species whidi resemble it. It is found 

 throughout the eastern half of the United States, 

 from Nova Scotia and Canada to Florida and the 

 (iulf, westward in the South to Arizona, and in 

 the North to Wyoming. It is often called the 

 Skink, aiul "Blue-Tail," and Blue-Tailed 

 Skink, and in summer it is available for study 

 ^ Eu-me'ces quin-que-lin-e-at' us . 



