Reptiles and Birds: A Popular Account of Their Various Orders, With a Description of the Habits and Economy of the Most InterestingFiguier, Louis
Science
Reptiles and Birds: A Popular Account of Their Various Orders, With a Description of the Habits and Economy of the Most Interesting
Figuier, Louis
Birds; Reptiles
Saurian which can properly be said to be a maritime animal. In the whole
of that group of islands, as he tells us, there is only one rill of
fresh water that reaches the coast; yet this reptile frequents the
sea-beaches, and no other parts of the islands. He adds that it is the
only known existing Lizard that feeds exclusively on aquatic
productions. Although he refers both species to the genus
_Amblyrhynchus_, the aquatic sort now constitutes the genus
_Oreocephalus_ of Dr. Gray, and it bears the name of _O. cristatus_.
This Lizard, according to Mr. Darwin, "is extremely common on all the
islands throughout the archipelago of the Galapagos. It lives
exclusively on the rocky sea-beaches, and is never found--at least, I
never saw one--even ten yards inshore. 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. I have seen a large one which weighed twenty pounds. On the
island of Albemarle they seem to grow to a greater size than on any
other. These Lizards were occasionally seen some hundred yards from the
shore swimming about; and Captain Colnett, in his 'Voyage,' says, 'they
go out to sea in shoals to fish.' With respect to the object, I believe
that he is mistaken; but the fact stated on so good an authority cannot
be doubted. When in the water the animal swims with perfect ease and
quickness, by a serpentine movement of its body and flattened tail--the
legs, during this time, 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, the Lizard was quite active. Their limbs and strong claws
are admirably adapted for crawling over the rugged and fissured masses
of lava which everywhere there form the coast. In such situations, a
group of six or seven of these ugly 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," continues Mr.
Darwin, "and in each case found it largely distended with minced
sea-weed of that kind which grows in thin foliaceous expansions of a
bright green or dull red colour. I do not recollect having observed
this sea-weed in any quantity on the tidal rocks; and I have reason to
believe that it grows at the bottom of the sea, at some little distance
from the coast. If such is the case, the object of these animals
occasionally going out to sea is explained. The stomach contained
nothing but the sea-weed. Mr. Bynoe, however, found a piece of a Crab in
one; but this might have got in accidentally. The intestines were large,
as in other herbivorous animals."
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