ROOM X.] NATURAL HISTORY. 37 
usually called House Lizards. Their food consists princi¬ 
pally of insects, especially flies, for destroying which they 
are protected by the inhabitants. 
The last group ( Cyrtodactylus) has the form and habits 
of the Gecko, but differs in the toes being very thin, slen¬ 
der, versatile, and peculiarly arched, so as to give them the 
power of grasping very strongly. Of these, the Beautiful 
Cyrtodactyle ( Cyrtodactylus pulchellus ), from India, and 
the Ocellated Cyrtodactyle ( Cyrt . ocellatus), have the tail 
slender and round, while the Flat-tailed Cyrtodactyle 
(Lacerto pl-atura ) of New Holland has a cordiform, ex¬ 
panded tail. 
Case 4 contains those Lizards which have their teeth 
placed on the edge of the jaws, and so firmly fixed to them 
as to appear part of the jaws themselves; as the Chame¬ 
leons and Agamse. 
The Agamse {Agama) are placed in the upper part of 
this Case (No. 4). They present several peculiarities of 
form, and have therefore been separated into many groups. 
Some have the head Lyre-shaped, and the back and tail 
crested ( Gonyocephalus) , as the Tiger Agama ( Agama ti - 
grin a). 
Other species have the head armed with spines over the 
back of the ears, and the scales large and directed upwards 
(Calotes ), as the Common Calotes ( Lacerta Calotes), of a 
fine blue colour, and the Indian Calotes ( Agama indica). 
These animals lay fusiform eggs. 
TheBronchocelse differ from the Calotes, by the scales of 
the back being small and horizontal; as the Blue Broncho- 
cele ( Agama cristatella ), and the Long-legged Bronchocele 
(Agama vultuosa ); one species, the Armed Bronchocele 
( Agama arjnato ), has a square head and long subulate 
spines over the eyes ( Acanthosaura ). 
The true Agamse {Agama) have often bundles of spines 
on the sides of the neck, as the Occipital Agama {Agama 
occipitalis), the Common Agama {Agama spinosa); and the 
male of the Pondicherry Agama {Agama pondiceriana) 
has so large a pouch under the throat, (which is quite 
wanting in the female,) that it has been separated as a 
genus under the name of Sitana . 
The Common Stellio {Lac. stellio ), which was formerly 
much esteemed for its medical qualities, has bands of large 
