A STRANGE REPTILE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 94, 29 July 1910, Page 6

A STRANGE REPTILE.

Mr. H. J. iStoae, of Woodend, in the Lyttelton Times,.gives a detailed description of a reptile; which, he says, he uecame acquainted with in New Zealnuu about fifty-, years- Mr. Stone says the reptile was apt a tuatara. "Thia creature," lie states, "was killed in a patch of manuka ground. He ran out of a hole where Maoris had- been digging for worms, reared, himself on this hind legs, and emitted a sort of bark and threw himself forward at a man that disturbed Mm. He did thia several times when he was struct on the back of the head with a manuka stick and killed and •brought to the house. He was 27in long ( and 3y 2 in round. Just behind his forelegs he had little;or no tail; "it had been broken off short and was growing again. His tail was about three inches, or not more than three and a-half inches long, and ran to a sharp point. The tail wasa very much lighter color from where it was broken off.. The back of the bodywas a dark green color, perfectly smooth, and not a sign oft seale of any sort and no spots on it. It Said a large head with rather a blunt nose, a large mouth which it could open very wide. The teeth were longer than shingle- nails and very much thicker at the butt and all slightly curved and looked one into the other. The upper lip was very thick and heavy and seemed to fold aver the bottom one. The eyes were large and bulged out frem I the head. There were great heavy eyebrows or what might be called eyelids, and on top of its-fcead, running three parts i of the way down its neck, was a perfect '■ cross. There were massive great 'fore- ', legs, the Shoulder sticking out very prominently. The (hind legs, did not show so large; at any rate they did not stand out so much. On top of the back;, just . behind the f oralegs, was a flange or fin that lay perfectly flat on its baolt, but, if you stroked'at with.stick from-(ail towards head,.you could raise it up. It would stand up; about an inch ini front, dwindling down to nothing just behind | the legs. It: had a hole on eadb side of the head just behind the eyes. Eventu- ! ally my mother buried it and would not tell me where it was buried."' Unfortunately Mrv. Stone has not beaa able to find any remains of his terrible ngarara., Consequently its identity is jtaet as puzzling as aver.