Tapayaxin. KKl’i'lLES. Tapayaxin. 
bliiig ill a certain degree tlie form of the ray fish, only 
that it is much smaller, scarcel}^ reaching four inches 
either in length or breadth. It is of a cartilaginous 
consistence, however, and varied with many colours; 
it is always found cold to the touch, walks very slowly, 
and seldom changes its place, even if laid hold of and 
handled. But its head is very hard, elevated, and 
bristling with a number of spines, disposed in the form 
of a garland. It delights in being taken hold of by 
man, to be carried in the hand and fondled, remaining 
immovable, and enjoying a degree of jilacid security 
and tranquility; wdierefore it is usually called by the 
n (lives, the Friend of man. What is wonderful in this 
animal, and common to no other as far as I am aware, 
is, that if the head be compressed) or the eyes be 
trovd)led, or if it be roughly handled, it can pour out 
from them drops of hlood and eject them to a distance, 
in the same way as blood is wont to be drawn from a 
man in sound health ; sometimes it is thrown out with 
such force as to roach a distance of three paces.” 
Wonderful virtues were attributed by the superstition 
of the natives to this blood, especially in the syphilitic ! 
diseases which, soon after the conquest of Mexico, ! 
Fitr. 
211 
overrun that country. The Tapayaxin lives in the 
mountainous and cool parts of Mexico, where it is 
found generally diflused, 
The family of Agajias {Agamickc) contains a con- 
siderable number of species, upwards of eighty having 
been described by Dr. Gray in his Catalogue. These 
are distributed through a variety of genera, which are 
distinguished by the teeth being inqjlanted into the 
suhstance of the jaw, adhering intimately to it by tbeir 
fangs. In none of them is the palate armed w'ith teeth. 
The thumb of the hind feet is on the same plane as the 
other toes. These characters separate them distinctly 
from tlic Iguanidae, and, moreover, they are all inhabi- 
tants of the Old World, wdth the exception of two or 
three from Australia, whereas the Iguanidaj are all 
natives of the New World. In other respects they 
resemble the latter family very much, and by many 
writers on reptiles are made merely a subdivision of 
them. Like them also they may be arranged in two 
groups — those which chiefly live upon trees ; and those 
w’hose habits are terrestrial. 
I Amongst the members of the fi'st group, or those 
! which live on trees, are the harmless little Flying 
. 9 . 
Tapayaxin of Mexico (I'lirynosoma orbictiiare}. 
Lizards or Dragons. To no w'ord, perhaps, are 
attached ideas more extraordinaiy, and of greater anti- 
quity than to that of Dragon. In all ages and in all 
countries the name Draco has been one of fear and 
mj’stery, and has not been dropped by modern natural- 
ists, wdio, however, instead of giving it to a creature of 
romance, have conferred it upon a real, substantial, 
winged rejitile. The genus Draco contains several 
species, which are small and inolT'ensive, but which, 
nevertheless, are still equally curious in the eyes of an 
attentive observer. Their chief character is, in fact, 
one of the most beautiful examples of the resources, at 
once simple and varied, that Nature uses in order to 
arrive at her ends. Destined to live on trees, it was 
necessary that the Diugons, in order to move them- 
selves W'ith an agiliiy equal to that of the other animals 
of the tribe to w'hich they belong, should have their feet 
furnished with toes possessing free claws ; but as the 
Insects of which their ordinary food consists fly rapidly, 
in order to reach them and shoot with celerity from 
one tree to another it was necessary besides that they 
should be furnished with w’ings. We thus see that the 
skin of the flanks is expanded in the manner of a para- 
chute, and sustained by the ribs behind the sternum, 
wdiich separate themselves bilaterall}', in place of con- 
verging towards the inferior line of the body, a unicpio 
example of such an arrangement — Plate 8, fig. 17. 
The genus Draco has a small head ; ' the body covered 
with small imbricate scales; the throat furnished with 
three pouches ; six ribs on each side, which are long. 
