Zoology.-] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Reptiles. 



Like all of the family Monitoridce or Varanidce, this species has 

 the body elongate, rounded, and without dorsal crest, carried by 

 four strong legs, with unequal, distinctly-separated toes, each 

 terminated by a large, powerful, arched, compressed, sharp-pointed 

 claw ; and the tail, which is usually at least twice the length of the 

 body in the Monitors, is moderately compressed, and surmounted 

 by two small scaly ridges. Like the other Monitors, the whole 

 surface of the body is covered with small, oval or oblong, convex 

 scales, each surrounded by small granules, and not imbricated. 

 The tongue, as in the rest of the family, is slender, forked, fleshy, 

 like that of a snake, and retractile into a pouch at its base. 



Although the present Lace Lizard is generally arboreal, climbing 

 the forest trees with ease, and running well on the ground, it can 

 swim nearly as well as a Crocodile ; and, from being thus seen in 

 some of the Gippsland rivers, the idea has arisen that there are 

 Crocodiles in that part of the colony. None of the family 

 Crocodilidce, however, occur in Victoria ; the large claws on all 

 the toes, and absence of webs between the toes of the hind feet, 

 as well as the slender tongue, and absence of large, bony plates 

 on the back, easily distinguish the Lizards of the present family 

 from those of the Crocodilidce, or true Crocodiles. In the long, 

 slender, forked tongue, sheathed at base, as well as in the 

 structure of several bones of the head, there is a singular approach 

 to the Ophidia, or Snakes, in the Lizards of the family Monitoridce, 

 of which Hydrosaurus varius is the only example known in 

 Victoria ; and in the osteology the approach to the extinct fossil 

 Saurians of the Mesozoic formations is no less striking to the 

 European geologist. 



This large Lizard is very common in the warmer parts of the 

 colony, particularly on the Murray plains. I have heard of 

 specimens 7 or 8 feet long, but have not seen them more than 

 6 feet. They are very voracious, and eat living or dead animals. 

 They are generally found in hollow trees or holes in the ground. 

 They lay about a dozen large, tough, flexible, white eggs, about 

 2|- inches long and 1J inches wide, the young in which are 9 or 10 

 inches long. 



Dec. v. 



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