\ 



4oO DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



We proceed to the saurians. The first genus 

 is that of the crocodile, of which we have twelve 

 species, belonging to the same family as those we 

 have already noticed in our inspection of the 

 large specimens attached to the ceiling; but here 

 they are of a smaller size and of different ages ; 

 some which were just hatched are preserved in 

 spirits of wine. We also see on the shelves the 

 eggs of the crocodile : these eggs are of a regular 

 form, their shell is granulated, and their small- 

 ness, when compared to the bulk of the full 

 grown animal, is quite surprising. In the se- 

 cond genus are comprised the monitors, or tupi- 

 nambis, of which we have already spoken ; the 

 Museum possesses fifteen species of them. 



After the tupinambis come the lizards; of 

 these there are in the Museum fifty-three species; 

 nearly one fourth of which belong to the climates 

 of Europe. The greater number have been pre- 

 served in spirits. This tribe is remarkable for 

 its swiftness and agility ; they retire to the clefts 

 of rocks and walls, or to holes under ground ; 

 they feed on flies and other insects, which they 

 will not eat unless they are living. The least 

 shock breaks off their tail, and when this hap- 

 pens a new one grows out, and soon acquires 

 the length of the old one. The lizards are in 

 general speckled with vivid and varied colours, 



