190 CENTRAL AMERICA. 



The iguana is most delicate to eat, after 

 having overcome the aversion the ugly reptile 

 naturally inspires ; and if stewed with rice is 

 so like an excellent chicken pillau, that one 

 would turn iguana hunter for the sake of 

 another dish : the eggs are also very delicate, 

 and resemble small turtle eggs both in the 

 taste and the integument that covers them. 



The larger sorts of snakes prey upon the 

 iguana, and follow them up the high trees 

 and bushes, which makes it dangerous for a 

 canoe or any boat to brush under the branches 

 at a river's side, as frequently a snake is 

 brushed off into the boat, and at first has it 

 pretty nearly his own way : but it takes a 

 strong powerful serpent to crush an iguana, 

 on account of his strong jaws and teeth ; 

 and even a large snake sometimes gets very 

 much mauled by this miniature alligator. 



