REPTILES. 199 



which are among the largest of the Lizard tribe. The 

 general aspect of the true Iguanas, which are found only 

 in America, can be seen in Fig. 161 (p. 198), the Tubercu- 

 lated Iguana. They have a long flexible tail, a crested 

 ridge along the back and tail, and a dewlap under the 

 throat which the animal can distend with air. The Tu- 

 berculated Iguana, sometimes reaching even six feet in 

 length, is found in South America and the West Indies. 

 With this family is allied the fossil Iguanodon, whose re- 

 mains show that it could not have been less than forty 

 feet in length. A very harmless little Lizard, with the 

 terrible name of Flying Dragon, may be considered as 

 belonging to this fimily, because it has the characteristic 

 scales of the Iguanas and the dewlap. It has, like the 

 Flying Squirrel, a wing-like expansion of the skin on each 

 side of the body, and uses it for a similar purpose. Some 

 of the ribs of the animal extend out as a frame-work to 

 these wings. When running about on the branches of a 

 tree they are folded to the side, but when it wishes to go 

 from one tree to another, or to descend to the ground, 

 it raises the ribs, thus expanding the so-called wings. 

 This animal is found in the Asiatic Archipelago. 



327. The remaining families of Lizards have slen- 

 der tongues, which are also more or less forked. The 

 family of Monitors includes some of the largest of the 

 Lizards. They are graceful and agUe animals, living on 

 large insects, eggs, birds, small Mammalia, reptiles, and 

 fish. The Monitor of the Nile, which is about six feet 

 long, is very destructive to the eggs and the young of the 

 Crocodile. Its name of Monitor is derived from the hiss- 

 ing noise which it makes when it sees a Crocodile ap- 

 proaching, thus giving a warning to any one that hap- 

 pens to be near. There are Monitors, also, in this coun- 

 try, which give a simHar warning of the aj^proach of the 

 Alligator. 



328. The true Lizards are bright -eyed, slender, and 

 lively little animals, with brilliant colors, especially those 



I 2 



