242 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
ment; and Redi talks of a large one, brought from Africa, 
that lived for eight months, without taking any nourishment 
whatever. Indeed, as many of this kind, both salamanders 
and lizards, are torpid, or nearly so, during the winter, the 
loss of their appetite for so long a time is the less surprising. 
Directly descending from the crocodile, in this class, we 
find the cordyle , the tockaiy, and the tejugmcu, all grow- 
ing less in the order in which they are named. These fill 
up the chasm to be found between the crocodile and the 
African iguana. 
The Iguana , which deserves our notice, is about three feet 
long, and the body about as thick as one’s thigh. The skin 
is covered with small scales, like those of a serpent; and the 
back is furnished with a row of prickles that stand up, like 
the teeth of a saw. Both the jaws are full of very sharp teeth, 
and the bite is dangerous, though not venomous. The male 
has a skin hanging under his throat, which reaches down to 
his breast; and when displeased he puffs it up like a bladder: 
he is one-third larger and stronger than the female, though 
the strength of either avails them little towards their defence. 
The males are ash-coloured, and the females are green. 
The flesh of these may be considered as the greatest deli- 
cacy of Africa and America; and the sportsmen of those cli- 
mates go out to hunt the iguana, as we do in pursuit of the 
pheasant or the hare. In the beginning of the season, when 
the great floods of the tropical climates are passed away, and 
vegetation starts into universal verdure, the sportsmen are 
seen, with a noose and a stick, wandering along the sides of 
the rivers, to take the iguana. This animal, though appa- 
rently formed for combat, is the most harmless creature of 
all the forest ; it lives among the trees, or sports in the wa- 
ter, without ever offering to offend. There, having fed upon 
the flowers of the mahot, and the leaves of the mapou, that 
grow along the banks of the stream, it goes to repose upon 
the branches of the trees that hang over the water. Upon 
land, the animal is swift of foot ; but when once in posses- 
sion of a tree, it seems conscious of the security of its situ- 
ation, and never offers to stir. There the sportsman easily 
finds it, and as easily fastens his noose round its neck. If 
the head be placed in such a manner that the noose cannot 
readily be fastened, by hitting the animal a blow on the 
nose with a stick, it lifts the head, and offers it in some 
measure to the noose. In this manner, and also by the tail, 
the iguana is dragged from the trees, and killed by repeated 
blows on the head. 
The Cameleon is a very different animal ; andas the iguana 
