C| up. xn. 
REPTILES. 
37 
throat-pouch ; and this is splendidly tinted with blue, 
J ar 'b, and red. In the Proctotretus tenuis of Chile the 
Illi de alone is marked with spots of blue, green, and 
Co Ppery-red . 68 I collected in S. America fourteen 
species of this genus, and though I neglected to record 
se xes, I observed that certain individuals alone were 
‘"orbed with emcrald-like green spots, whilst others 
‘ ac l orange-coloured gorges ; and these in both cases 
n ° doubt were the males. 
11 tlie foregoing species, the males are more brightly 
coloured than the females, but with many lizards both 
^ Xes a re coloured in the same elegant or even magni- 
Cei ‘t manner ; and there is no reason to suppose that 
^ch conspicuous colours are protective. With some 
1 Zar ds, however, the green tints no doubt serve for 
C 0 l mealnient ; and an instance has already been inci- 
'entjy gj ven 0 £ one S p ec i e g 0 f Proctotretus which 
resembles the sand on which it lives. On the 
closely 
I ^°lo 've may conclude with tolerable safety that the 
dutiful colours of many lizards, as well as various 
appendages and other strange modifications of structure, 
j. dV ° been gained by the males through sexual selection 
° r the sake of ornament, and have been transmitted 
P er to their male offspring alone or to both sexes. 
.^-Xual selection, indeed, seems to have played almost as 
Important a part, with reptiles as with birds. Put the 
? s conspicuous colours of the females in comparison 
yj those of the males cannot be accounted for, as 
* ' " allace believes to be the case with birds, by the 
Posure of the females to danger during incubation. 
aS pi ^ 
R e)) ti|'. )r , Proc, °trenis see -Zoology of the Voyage of the “Beagle:” 
of ^ , c 8 ’. b y Mr. Bell, p. 8. For tl.e Lizards of S, Africa, see ‘ Zoology 
lojh ‘, lca : Reptiles,’ by Sir Andrew Smith, pi. 25 and 39. For the 
'-“lotos, see ‘ Reptiles of British India,’ by Dr. Gunther, p. 143. 
