THE VENUS LIZAED. 
143 
the species may be worthy of being related. One 
day in February, having ascended the ridge with a 
companion, my attention was arrested by a Lizard 
about a foot long, and of a lively green colour, on 
the trunk of a small tree, head downward, intently 
watching our motions as we stood near. My young 
friend suggested the possibility of capturing it by 
sbpping a noose over its head, while its attention was 
engaged by whistling. I laughingly proceeded to try 
the spell ; and having made a noose of small twine, 
which I tied to the end of a switch, I gently walked 
towards him, whistling a lively tune. To my astonish- 
ment he allowed me to slip the noose over his head, 
merely glancing his bright eye at the string as it 
passed. I jerked the switch ; the music ceased ; and 
the green-coated forester was sprawling in the air, 
dangling, greatly to his annoyance, at the end of my 
string. He was very savage, biting at every thing 
near ; presently his colour began to change from 
green to blackish, till it was of an uniform bluish 
black with darker bands on the body and a 
brownish black on the tail : the only trace of green 
♦ As published descriptions of tropical reptiles are commonly 
made from specimens in spirits, with the colours and even the forms 
greatly altered, I may be excused for the following note made on the 
species during life. The length of adult males varies considerably, 
from 13 to 18 inches, but I have invariably found the dilference to 
lie in the tail, the body being always about 5 inches, the tail varying 
from 7 to 12 inches. The colour, when the animal is not excited, is 
brilliant yellow-green ; the hind half of the tail pale grey ; the goitre 
orange, set with longitudinal rows of separated pale-yellow scales; 
the edges of the eyelids white. In some specimens the body, tail, 
and limbs are marked with transverse bands of a bluer green, those on 
the trunk more slender and oblique. (See Plate IV.) 
