ROOM II.] 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
47 
The Wall Cases. 
Cases 1—10. The Lizards. 
The Cases 1 —5. The Monitors of Africa and India. In both 
countries they are venerated by the natives, who assert that they give 
notice of the approach of crocodiles, by hissing when they perceive one 
of those animals; hence their name. 
Case 5. At the bottom are the Heloderms from Mexico, which, unlike 
any other lizard, have a groove in the back of the teeth like serpents. 
They are said to be poisonous; but this may be a mistake, for ignorant 
persons are inclined to believe that all reptiles are dangerous. 
Case 6. At the upper part, the Safeguards of the tropical parts 
of America. They grow to a large size. The Crocodilurus has two 
keels in the tail like the crocodiles. 
Case 7. The Seines and other allied genera, which are generally 
small and polished. They come from the warmer parts of both hemi¬ 
spheres. Some have distinct and strong legs, and others rudimentary 
ones; as the blind worms, w hich have the bones of the legs hid under the 
skin; they are all quite innocent. 
Cases 8, 9. The Geckos, or night lizards, which have the pow r er of 
walking up glass, or even to run wdth facility back downwards on the 
ceiling of a room, like a fly. They come from the warm parts of both 
hemispheres, and differ greatly in the form of their toes; some have the 
skin of the sides spread out to assist them when jumping from tree to 
tree. In the low 7 er part are the various lizards allied to the Guanas. 
They are only found in America, and live on trees; are very quarrelsome, 
and often fight with great ardour when they meet; they have the 
faculty of changing their colour with great quickness. The Andes 
have the end of their toes dilated, which enables them to walk on 
smooth and perpendicular surfaces, like the Geckos. 
Case 10. The different genera allied to Agama. They are only 
found in the warmer parts of the Old World and Australia; as the Mo - 
lochs , which are almost entirely covered with large spines; the Dragons 
of India, which have the skin of their sides spread out into the form of 
wings, held up by the ends of the ribs; when at rest these wings are folded 
together on the sides, but when it leaps from branch to branch they are 
spread out and act as a parachute; the frilled agama ( Chlamydosaurus'), 
which has a large folded frill round its neck like a Queen Elizabeth’s 
ruff, which it can elevate when excited. The lower shelves contain 
the different kinds of chameleons, which are found in Africa and 
India, and the islands near them; they have been long celebrated on 
account of the rapidity with which they change their colours; and 
they are remarkable for the distance to which they can protrude the 
tongue in order to catch insects, which form their principal food. 
Cases 11—17. The Snakes or Serpents. 
They differ from the lizard in ahvays swallowing their food entire. 
Case 11. The Poisonous Serpents. 
In the upper shelves are placed the Rattle-snakes peculiar to 
America, which have a rattle at the end of the tail; this rattle is formed 
