128 



SAUEIANS. 



and by the presence of an elevated crest which runs along 

 the whole length of the back and tail. 



The Hooded Basilisk, B. avierieamis (Fig. '29), measures seven or 

 eight inches from the nose to origin of the tail, which is itself nearly 

 three times as long, being nineteen or twenty inches in length. 

 Upon the occiput it has a sort of horn or bag, in shape lil-ce a 

 hood, round at the summit, and slightl}' inclined towards the 

 neck. This bag, when distended, is about the size of a pullet's 

 egg. In the male the back and tail are sui'mounted hj a 

 raised crest, such as we have described above, sustained in its 



Fig S!l.— Hooatil Basilisk. 



thickness hy the knotty process of the vertebrre. The general 

 colour is a mixture of sandy brown, slightly marbled on the back 

 and sides, with shades of blue on the upper part, and a silverj' 

 white underneath. On the throat are larger bands of brown, 

 and on each side of the eye is a white ray bordered with black, 

 which is lost upon the back ; and the tail is so remarkablv 

 attenuated towards its extremity as to show the articulations of the 

 vertebrae beneath. 



[According to Mr. 0. Salviu, the Basilisk is very common about 

 Lanquin, in the province of Guatemala, where it may frequentlv 

 bo seen on the low branches of a bush, and it is particularly fond 

 ofbaslving on tlio boughs of a felled tree in a clearino- near a 



