Zoology.'] 



NATUEAL HISTOEY OF VICTOEIA. 



[Reptiles. 



Measurements, &c. — continued. 





Measuremen ts . 









Young, figured, 



Average 



-size 













Specimen. 



Specimen. 













ft. 



ins. 



lines. 



ft. 



ins. 



lines. 



Diameter of orbit ... 





... ••• 



... 











4 











5 



Width of forehead between eyes 





... 



... 











10 







1 



7 



Length from tip of snout to shoulder ... 





... ... 



... 







5 



6 







8 



6 



j> 



of inner toe of anterior foot ... 





... 













5 











6 



n 



of claw of ditto 





... ... 



... 











H 











9 



» 



of 2nd toe ... 





... 



... 











9 







1 



1 



jj 



of claw of ditto 





... 



... 











5| 











11 



5> 



of 3rd toe 





... 



... 







1 











1 



3 



)> 



of claw of ditto 





... 



... 











6 











9 



n 



of 4th toe ... 





... 



... 







t 



1 







1 



6 



j> 



of claw of ditto 





... 













51 











9 



» 



of 5th toe ... 





... 



... 











7 







1 



I 



j> 



of claw of ditto 





... 



... 











5i 











9 



»» 



from shoulder to base of 3rd claw 





... 



... 







2 



9 







6 







Girth of body 





... 



... 







7 







1 



3 







Length from tip of snout to hind leg 





... 



... 



1 



6 







1 



10 







»> 



of hind leg to base of 3rd claw 





... 









3 



6 







7 



3 



i» 



of inner toe of hind foot 





... 



... 







1 











1 



3 



ii 



of claw of ditto 





... ... 



... 











5 











8 



»> 



of 2nd or longest toe ... 





... 



... 







1 



6^ 







2 



1 



5) 



of claw of ditto 





... 



... 











5 











9 



|| 



of 3rd toe ... 





... ... 



... 







1 



1 







1 



6 



>) 



of 4th toe ... 





... 



... 











9 







1 







>> 



of outer or shortest toe 





... 













5 











7 



>> 



of claw of ditto 





... 



... 











H 











7 



» 



of largest teeth, about middle of jaw 



... 













n 











2 





of antero-posterior diameter of lar 



"[est tooth 



... 











oi 











H 



>» 



of transverse diameter of largest tooth 



... 













oi 











Of 



Granular scales in middle of back in space 



of 6 lines 



... 





ten 







five 





Reference. — = Lacerta varia (Shaw), White, Journ. N.S.W., t 3 ; f. 2. 



This is by far the largest of the Victorian Lizards, sometimes 

 reaching 6 feet in length, and from its fierce, bloodthirsty disposi- 

 tion is a most unwelcome visitor to the poultry yards, from which 

 it occasionally carries off the chickens. Its usual food is the 

 common Opossum, and various smaller mammals and birds. It is 

 often popularly called Iguana by the settlers, but the English name 

 originally given by Shaw is more desirable, as there is no near 

 affinity with the herbivorous true Iguana, in which the body has a 

 dorsal crest, a dilatable throat, a thick, wide, slightly notched tongue, 

 imbricated body scales, and different maxillaries and dentition. 



The color varies greatly, being different in every individual in 

 the relatrv e proportion of the yellow and the black. Our figure and 

 description indicate the commonest marking, but in some even the 

 usual strong, transverse, black bands on the throat are absent. 



[ 8] 



