39 
that they give notice of the approach of the Crocodiles, 
by hissing when they perceive one of those animals. 
Whether this be fact or fiction, the name, Monitor, is 
probably to be traced to that origin. The Americans 
.xave a similar idea with regard to the Safeguards 
( Teius ) of the New World. In the Collection are the 
Double-crested Ada ( Teius hicarinatus\ very like the 
Crocodile in shape ; the Variegated Safeguard ( Teius 
monitor) ; various species of Ameiva ( Lacerta ameica , 
Lin.); and the Intermediate Centropyx ( Teius inter- 
medius ), remarkable for having lanceolate abdominal 
plates, and the males two spiniform scales on each side 
of the base of the tail. Next follow the True Lizards, 
which, like the Monitors, are peculiar to the New 
World ; but they are at once distinguished from them 
by their tongue being, like those of the Safeguards, 
simply contractile, whereas that of the Monitor is with¬ 
drawn into a sheath under the gullet when at rest, in 
the same manner as the tongue of snakes. The Col¬ 
lection contains several specimens of this genus, most 
of which are found in Europe, as the Ocellated Lizard 
{Lac. ocellata ), Green Lizard {Lac viridis ), and the 
Wall Lizard {Lac muralis ), found on heaths near 
London. This animal is said to be both oviparous 
and viviparous, and has been confounded by authors 
with another species {Lacerta agilis ), not a native of 
Britain. Lastly, the Swift Lizards ( TacJiydromus ), 
which very much resemble the True Lizards, but have 
an exceedingly long body and tail, with their fore and 
hind legs very far apart, and the back covered with 
shields somewhat like those on the belly. They are 
found in China and Java, and are said to run with 
amazing velocity. Most of these animals have the 
faculty of reproducing their tails when broken off, an 
accident which often happens in the mere exertion of 
the animal to escape. The reproduced part has only 
a central cartilage in the place of the bones, and is 
often covered with scales, different from those of the 
rest of the tail- If the tail be cracked only on one 
side, 
ROOM X. 
Nat. Hist. 
