94 



Marvels of the Universe 



FLYING DRAGONS 



BV R. LYDEKKER 



Despite their title, the Flying Dragons of the Malay countries and the Philippine Islands are harmless 

 little lizards, only a few inches in length, remarkable for their brilliant colouring and the expansion 



of the skin of the sides of the 

 body into a large parachute- 

 like structure, which enables 

 them to take long flying leaps 

 from bough to bough, or even 

 from tree to tree. In the extent 

 of these leaps they are quite 

 unique among reptiles, and 

 are, therefore, truly " marvel- 

 lous animals," although they 

 do not fly in the proper sense 

 of that term ; that is to say, 

 they have not wings like those 

 of a bird. In consequence, 

 their flight, or rather their 

 " glide," is alwaj's of strictly 

 limited extent, and cannot be 

 prolonged beyond the range of 

 the original impetus given by 

 the starting-point. 



The parachute is supported 

 on each side of the body by 

 an elongation of the last six 

 or seven ribs, and when the 

 animal is at rest, can be folded 

 up in fan-fashion. The tail is 

 fuUy twice as long as the head 

 and body, so that the total 

 length of the creature is fully 

 eight inches. There are about 

 a score of different kinds of 

 these beautiful little lizards, 

 whose colouring is so brilliant 

 and forms such complex pat- 

 terns, that exact description is 

 well-nigh impossible. Generally 

 the upper surface displays 

 bright metallic colours of vary- 

 ing tints, upon which are 

 numerous dark blotches and 

 bars, producing a marbled effect. The throat has a kind of dewlap, capable of expansion under 

 the influence of excitement, and in one of the species is brilliant orange in the male, but bluish in 

 the female. 



Photo &i/] 



In thi 



THE FLYING 



photograph the remarUabI' 

 head, It is coloui 



DRAGON. 



dewlap is sKown extended 

 d brilliant orange or blue. 



front of the 



