334 
ORDERS OF REPTILES— LIZARDS 
mixture of green, black and yellow, and it may 
be recognized at a glance by the row of long, 
slender, fringe-like scales which rise along the 
centre of its back. One good look at its ex- 
tremely long and slender toes is enough to sug- 
gest the idea that it is a climbing animal. It 
makes its home in thick tree-tops, and feeds 
chiefly upon fruit and soft vegetation. I can 
testify that its flesh is palatable food, for in the 
hungry Orinoco country we ate it more than 
once. 
Iguanas generally possess one good trait which 
is sufficient to forever endear them to zoological 
garden people. They are good-tempered ani- 
mals, and never fight, no matter how many are 
placed in one cage, nor how many species of 
Iguanas are represented. Owing to the ease with 
which these creatures are captured, their price in 
New York is about $2 each. 
The Marine Iguana , 1 or Sea-Lizard, of the 
Galapagos Islands, is a creature of gre-ga'ri-ous 
habits, which means the habit of flocking or as- 
sembling together in companies of noteworthy 
size. So far as we know, this is the only lizard 
which elects to assemble in companies of several 
hundred individuals. When Mr. R. J. Beck 
visited Narborough Island of the Galapagos 
group, in 1902, in quest of giant tortoises, he 
found on the clean lava-bed which formed the 
shore, a truly wonderful assemblage of Marine 
Iguanas. An area of at least three acres, desti- 
tute both of soil and vegetation, was literally 
covered by these reptiles, all wide-awake and 
fully interested in life, but serenely waiting for 
something to turn up. 
Owing to their lymphatic temperament, and 
previous immunity from persecution by man, 
these strange creatures were quite tame, and 
willingly permitted Mr. Beck to make the photo- 
graph that is reproduced herewith . It represents 
one of the most wonderful views of reptilian life 
to be found anywhere on the earth to-day. 
The Marine Iguana is a stockily built, dull- 
colored animal, about four and one-half feet in 
length, frugivorous in its habits, and very much 
at home in the water. It subsists almost wholly 
upon sea-weed. 
The Rhinoceros Iguana , 2 of the same form 
as the preceding, but much lighter in color, and 
1 Am-bly-rhyn' chus cris-ta'tus. 
2 Met-o-poc' e-ros cor-nu'tus. 
marked by half a dozen horny tubercles on the 
upper surface of its head and snout, is found 
in Hayti and San Domingo. 
Leaving the large lizards, of which be it re- 
membered there are many interesting species in 
the Old World, — called Monitors, — impossible to 
mention here, we reach the small lizards, of 
which there are a legion of species. The warm 
and dry countries of the world literally swarm 
with these tiny creatures, which dart over rocks 
and fences like streaks of green or brown light. 
If you try to catch one by its long tail, and close 
upon it, the lizard leaves its tail between your 
thumb and finger, as a souvenir, and gayly streaks 
away to grow another, without loss of time ! The 
power possessed by lizards to reproduce a miss- 
- V 
BLUE-TAILED LIZARD. 
ing tail is one of the strangest things in animal 
growth ; but it is to be observed that the second 
edition of a lizard’s tail is far from being the 
shapely and perfect member that is seen in the 
first. 
Many lizards, like much study, are a weari- 
ness to the flesh; and we will limit our exhibit 
to a very few prominent and interesting types 
which are well fitted to represent the entire group. 
The Blue-Tailed Lizard 3 is not only a com- 
mon species throughout a wide area of the United 
States, but it is also representative of a large 
number of species which resemble it. It is found 
throughout the eastern half of the United States, 
from Nova Scotia and Canada to Florida and the 
Gulf, westward in the South to Arizona, and in 
the North to Wyoming. It is often called the 
Skink, and “Blue-Tail,” and Blue-Tailed 
Skink, and in summer it is available for study 
3 Eu-me’ces quin-que-lin-e-at'us. 
