LIZARDS. 195 



very large, being nearly three feet in length, but rather 

 sluggish lizards, witli a dorsal row of high, tliiu spines. 

 They are said to be excellent eating. A still larger furro, 

 resembling tlie iguanas, is the sea-lizard (AmMyrhync/ius) 

 of the Galapagos Islands, where ifc lives on the rocks by the 

 «hore, feeding on sea- weeds. The largest lizard of the West- 



Fio. 237.— West Indian Gekko. From Lutken's Zoology. 



ern Territories is the i/"isZoc?erma or "Gila monster;" it is 

 allied to the iguanas, but the body is heavily tuberculated. 

 Its bite is poisonous. The largest of all existing lizards are 

 the monitors, or species of Varatms, of Australia and the 



Fio. 238.— Horned Toad. From Ltttken's Zoology. 



East Indies, which nearly rival the crocodiles in size, being 

 five or six feet in length. 



Order's. Chelonia {Testiulinata, tortoises, turtles). These 

 animals are at once recognized by their shell, the upper 

 part forming the carapace and the lower the plastron; 

 these two parts unite to form a case or box, within which 

 the turtle can retract its head and limbs and tail. 



There are about forty spo'^ies of Chelonians in America 



