IS 7.] Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 635 



Length of the head, feet 3 inch. 



Ditto ditto trunk, 1 Of 



Ditto ditto tail, 1 6| 



Entire length, 2 feet 9f inch. 



Varan us salvator. (Lam-enti). 



Syn. — Lacertus indicus, Loclmer? 

 Lacerta mexicana, Seba. 



Lacertus americanus, amphibius Tupinambis dictus : Seba, 

 Stellio salvator, Laurenti. 

 Monitor Lizard, Shaw. 

 Lacerta monitor? Hermann. 

 Tupinambis bivittatus, Kulil, apud Boie, 

 Monitor elegans, Gray. 

 Monitor a deux rubans, Cuvier. 

 Hydrosaurus bivittatus, Wagler. 

 Monitor vittatus, Lesson. 

 Varanus bivittattus, Dumeril and Bibron. 

 Hydrosaurus salvator, Gray : Catal. 

 " Beyawak" of the Malays of the Peninsula. 



Head very elongated ; nostrils oval, nearly transversal, close to the 

 muzzle ; a series of supraorbital scales, larger than the rest ; teeth with 

 dentilated edges ; toes very long. Above. Ground colour dark brown 

 or black ; a band on the side of the neck from the shoulder to the eye, 

 5 to 7 distant, transversal series of separate rings, between which 

 numerous spots or interrupted transversal lines, all yellow or yellowish 

 white ; the outside of the limbs and the tail spotted, the latter indis- 

 tinctly banded with yellow. Beneath yellow, the throat with indistinct 

 transversal black bands and minute spots ; the sides of the body and 

 limbs in some individuals with large blackish dentilations. 



Habit. — Malayan Pe?ii?isida, Pinang. 



Philippine and Molucca Islands, Amboina, Java, Bengal. 

 This species is very numerous both in hilly and marshy localities. 

 It is commonly during the day observed in the branches of trees over- 

 hanging rivers, preying upon birds and their eggs, and smaller lizards, 

 and when disturbed, it throws itself from a considerable height into the 

 water. When attacked on level ground, it attempts its escape by run- 

 ning, if possible towards the water. Its quickness however is not so 

 great as to prevent a man from overtaking it, when it will courageously 

 defend itself with teeth and claws and bv strokes of the tail. The 



