THE CROCODILES AND LIZARDS OF BORNEO. 73 



THE CROCOraLES AND LIZARDS OF BORNEO 



IN THE SABAWAK MUSEUM, 



WITH 



DESCRIPTIONS OF SUPPOSED NEW SPECIES, 



AND 



THE VARIATION OF COLOURS IN THE SEVERAL 

 SPECIES DURING LIFE. 



By EDWAPvD BARTLETT, 



CURATOK OF TflE SVEAWAK MUSEUM. 



April, 189L 



Lizards at all times are lively, harmless and interesting* rep- 

 tiles, their movements are g-raceful and smooth, in some genera, 

 while others are rather uncouth, but all have that cunning quick 

 attractive eye which calls one's attention to them at once. 



There is no doubt that a large proportion of the lizards are 

 more or less chameleon-like as regards the habit of changing 

 colour, but at the same time there are many whose colours are 

 permanent or attained during the breeding season ; and these 

 permanent colours are assumed by gradual development and ag-e. 



If ornithologists are justified in making three species of 

 Halcyon forqiiatufi, /{.fortesi, mid H. molimhiciis, on such slender 

 variations,* I consider that where we find a considerable number 

 of different constant (permanent) colours in these lizards we 

 are equally entitled to treat them as separate species. 



* To quote anotlier instance of species differing in colour only — and 

 that to a trivial extent — it becomes a question in my mind whether it is age 

 or sex that causes the distinction between Eurystomus onentalis and 

 £. calonyx, the two species being fouud together. 



