XVII 
MA RINE A MEL YRH YNCHUS 
4ii 
any other place an aboriginal. The bones of a tortoise at 
Mauritius, associated with those of the extinct Dodo, have 
generally been considered as belonging to this tortoise : if this 
had been so, undoubtedly it must have been there indigenous ; 
but M. Bibron informs me that he believes that it was distinct, 
as the species now living there certainly is. 
The Amblyrhynchus, a remarkable genus of lizards, is 
confined to this archipelago ; there are two species, resembling 
each other in general form, one being terrestrial and the other 
aquatic. This latter species (A. cristatus) was first character¬ 
ised by Mr. Bell, who well foresaw, from its short, broad head, 
and strong claws of equal length, that its habits of life would 
turn out very peculiar, and different from those of its nearest 
ally, the Iguana. It is extremely common on all the islands 
AMBLYRHYNCHUS CRISTATUS. a, TOOTH OF NATURAL SIZE, AND LIKEWISE MAGNIFIED. 
throughout the group, and lives exclusively on the rocky sea- 
beaches, being never found, at least I never saw one, even ten 
yards in-shore. It is a hideous-looking creature, of a dirty 
black colour, stupid, and sluggish in its movements. The 
usual length of a full-grown one is about a yard, but there are 
some even four feet long ; a large one weighed twenty pounds : 
on the island of Albemarle they seem to grow to a greater size 
than elsewhere. Their tails are flattened sideways, and all 
four feet partially webbed. They are occasionally seen some 
hundred yards from the shore, swimming about ; and Captain 
Collnett, in his Voyage, says, “ They go to sea in herds 
a-fishing, and sun themselves on the rocks ; and may be called 
alligators in miniature.” It must not, however, be supposed 
that they live on fish. When in the water this lizard swims 
with perfect ease and quickness, by a serpentine movement of 
