IGUANOID GROUP. 
131 
the young, but in the adult has well-marked frontal ridges, and some large rough 
shields on the crown; and the appendage on the throat of the males is relatively 
small. The body is not compressed, flat beneath, and not keeled above; the scales 
on its upper and lower surfaces being keeled and approaching an hexagonal 
form, with their edges either in apposition or slightly overlapping. The tail is 
cylindrical and tapering, with some slightly enlarged scales on its upper surface, 
and nearly equal to twice the length of the head and body. In the living animal 
the colour of the upper surface is brilliant metallic green, and that of the under¬ 
parts silvery white; the appendage on the throat of the males, which is covered 
with white scales, is red; there is a large blue eye-like spot above the axil of the 
fore-limb; and the region of the tail is ornamented with black markings. In 
some specimens the green colour passes more or less distinctly into brownish or 
brown; and, when excited, the creature is able to change its general hue from 
greenish grey, through dark grey and brown of all shades, to the ordinary metallic 
green. In length this lizard varies from 54 to nearly 9 inches, according to sex; 
fully two-thirds of these dimensions being taken up by the tail. 
In Louisiana, Carolina, and Cuba, the red-throated anolis is one of the most 
common of lizards, and may be noticed in all suitable spots, such as woods and 
garden-hedges, as well as the exteriors, and sometimes also the interiors of 
dwelling-houses. Like their congeners, they are, however, to be met with most 
abundantly in the deep woods, and then so closely do they assimilate to their 
surroundings that their presence, when at rest on a bough, is generally only 
revealed by their brilliant eyes. In houses, these lizards exhibit but little fear of 
man, running about with the greatest unconcern in search of flies and other 
insects; and as, in addition to gnats, flies, butterflies, beetles, and spiders, they kill 
and eat wasps, scorpions, and other noxious creatures, their visits are encouraged. 
In motion throughout the day, they display extreme activity and speed, both when 
hunting among the foliage of trees or on the ground, pouncing upon their insect- 
prey like a cat upon a mouse. In the spring, during the breeding-season, the 
males display great jealousy of one another, so much so, indeed, that when two 
meet, a combat is certain to ensue, and is often continued till one of the combatants 
has lost its tail, which appears to be taken as an immediate sign of defeat. During 
these battles the appendage on the throat is inflated, and the changes of colour 
are more rapid than at any other time. With the advent of summer, these mutual 
animosities are, however, forgotten, and these lizards dwell together in perfect 
amity, sometimes collecting in large companies. The females of some of the species 
are stated to dig a hole for the reception of their few white eggs with their fore¬ 
paws, at the foot of a tree or in some moist spot near a wall, afterwards carefully 
covering them with soil to protect them from the sun’s rays. The figured kind is, 
however, said to be very careless in regard to the place where its eggs are 
deposited; these being found either on bare sand or rocks, or even in rooms. The 
red-throated anolis, like most of its kindred, can be readily tamed, and makes a 
most charming pet, which can be without much difficulty transported to Europe. 
Writing of a pair which were at one time in his possession, Bell says that “I was 
in the habit of feeding them with flies and other insects, and having one day 
placed in the cage with them a very large garden-spider, one of the lizards darted 
