Page:Natural History, Reptiles.djvu/105

Rh of the West Indies, a lizard about the size of our own smallest species. 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, Epeira diadema, one of the lizards darted at it, but seized it only by the leg. The spider instantly ran round and round the creature's mouth, weaving a very thick web round both jaws, and then gave it a severe bite in the lip, just as this species of spider usually does with any large insect which it has taken. The lizard was greatly distressed, and I removed the spider, and rubbed off the web, the confinement of which appeared to give it great annoyance; but in a few days it died, though previously in as perfect, health as its companion, which lived for a long time afterwards.”

To this genus, which is very restricted in extent, belong the largest species of the Family, and almost of the Order. They are marked by a prolongation of the skin, which stretching under the whole surface of the head and neck, forms a very thin, but very deep dewlap or pouch, the border of which describes a curve, and is set along its front edge with spinous processes like the teeth of a saw. The skin is irregularly folded on the sides of this dewlap, behind which there is another transverse fold passing obliquely over each shoulder. On the sides of the neck and body, also, the skin has a tendency to form loose folds. The head is rather large, and has