412 
GALAPAGOS ARCHIPELAGO 
CHAP. 
its body and flattened tail—the legs being motionless and 
closely collapsed on its sides. A seaman on board sank one, 
with a heavy weight attached to it, thinking thus to kill it 
directly ; but when, an hour afterwards, he drew up the line, it 
was quite active. Their limbs and strong claws are admirably 
adapted for crawling over the rugged and fissured masses of 
lava which everywhere form the coast. In such situations a 
group of six or seven of these hideous reptiles may oftentimes 
be seen on the black rocks, a few feet above the surf, basking 
in the sun with outstretched legs. 
I opened the stomachs of several, and found them largely 
distended with minced seaweed (Ulvae), which grows in thin 
foliaceous expansions of a bright green or a dull red colour. 
I do not recollect having observed this seaweed in any quantity 
on the tidal rocks ; and I have reason to believe it grows at 
the bottom of the sea, at some little distance from the coast. 
If such be the case, the object of these animals occasionally 
going out to sea is explained. The stomach contained nothing 
but the seaweed. Mr. Bynoe, however, found a piece of a crab 
in one ; but this might have got in accidentally, in the same 
manner as I have seen a caterpillar, in the midst of some 
lichen, in the paunch of a tortoise. The intestines were large, 
as in other herbivorous animals. The nature of this lizard’s 
food, as well as the structure of its tail and feet, and the fact 
of its having been seen voluntarily swimming out at sea, 
absolutely prove its aquatic habits ; yet there is in this 
respect one strange anomaly, namely, that when frightened it 
will not enter the water. Hence it is easy to drive these 
lizards down to any little point overhanging the sea, where 
they will sooner allow a person to catch hold of their tails 
than jump into the water. They do not seem to have any 
notion of biting ; but when much frightened they squirt a drop 
of fluid from each nostril. I threw one several times as far as 
I could, into a deep pool left by the retiring tide ; but it 
invariably returned in a direct line to the spot where I stood. 
It swam near the bottom, with a very graceful and rapid 
movement, and occasionally aided itself over the uneven 
ground with its feet. As soon as it arrived near the edge, but 
still being under water, it tried to conceal itself in the tufts of 
seaweed, or it entered some crevice. As soon as it thought 
