CORRESPONDENCE. A RARE REPTILE.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 July 1915, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

A RARE REPTILE.

To the Editor, i ISir— Kindly permit me to otl'er your readers a few remarks «,» the habits of the beautiful species of native lizard referred to ill your "local and general" column in '.Monday's News, as being a rare reptile. Your remark, "Though very seldom met with, it may lie much more collision than is generally supposed, as its coloration is evidently protective," is quite correct. It is one of i"XeW; Zealand's very.interesting mimetic species, and is known to bushmen, when mot with, as llie tree 1 izy. rd, a very appropriate name. Though its chief'tvpical eoloratii.il is of various shades' of green, they vary so much in the arrangement, ol the colors tliat several forms have been described as distinct species bv naturalists. Its habits are strictly arhorial, whilst its strikingly mimetic coloration conceals it from view. P»y reniiiiniii.tr motionless for lonjf period's on tile green liidien arid moss-covered boughs of tbe trees, its living prey, which consist of bottles, Hies, caterpillars, .moths and tree worms, unaware of its presence, approach to within striking distance, and. when the lizard strikes, it rarely misses its prey. I nossess a fine specimen presented to nie l>y Miss Hammond seven months ago. which has afforded rue many opportunities for observation ami experiment. Dining last nutinnn I cut several small branching moss-covered boughs ami placed it thereon to enable me to observe its feeding l:;'hi(-\ When it arrived it was e\fremelv hungry, and fed voraciously for several weeks. To attra ■(■ Hies by day 1 put pieces of meat oil the boughs,

\v!tic.l) generally brought more prey than it could oapinr<* or n.iiMinie. It was always renmrkaldv paliiMit and motionloss when waiting for its prey. When the insects came I)u>:zii);.r near it. would iiiovi' its head slightly to watch them tliiK'j:- After mis'lnny several ili<*s in. its montli and swallowing them, it wniid lie!-: it-', lips wiili real ;;!'4n with its' 11: red ioni-ne. 'Wlien lmidlert they v-re fie mo:-t. gentle and inoffensive ■i fi !i : : t:i tile I'rn id a ( n whirl I i lieV This ireaotifol (l/ard the NiJ - of 111! J Ml" J INts is Tlexf in ):?: port aiu-e to the tuaiara. wliidi is ilio and ari? !<» *ratir ivpiv-s-'oiaiive of the order Kepfilia, and is t!i:' fannir iio--c---inn of tnis I'eautU'iil ('(iiiiiti'r. 'Hie free li/ard nro-I'aljly-i'fiiiiired 'he (■?>smi>inu - habit at a win a lerreslrial ;ennfs were more IMHI-ci'' ■:-! t';,!:: Wiry Whaj- ■'' ! M' ' ' ] };\ ',•(• i'l'i'i). its (i >'!"'! lr 1 ■ I ' 1 o ] o!' *'■, i< 1:-I- d ' d n- !I'r 1 > 1 ! 1 e-du)") 1i - >!' b\ a '<>;!'■ !l' 11 'i I!e fort-i . II ;■ i- .i p (t --es-'i'«: 1" h d lii;c fee' for if •; -i/e e\ id\ <■-; for the „f I ,-loiv are mo>'e re ■ i,levudvi'd than form-. winel' Trover l! - i•• I; lr,(, iv.-i it".-: liU'e lizard l l '' l a l'i l r- t dw idler fur nia>iY • T 1 "-'- 'few !!■;' iks (.1) ill.- 11!:: ♦a] a : V'! t: ■' t': 1 !;;;•> li .j w A \\\\;>\-\ f 1 ;;! > j( - ! d [o-a -ie r'nd, and i; lias : i 6:'!! ■: hl«. (: f ;■<' a-.-."' \<i w" i' 1 1" -M'l'ri'n]'-'. i !ia; e ' ria'-i- cat 'ira I- ': ■ re i■ i. ..! {»v t ' M - si ricl, *nd . pr,.,(. r » ;i i : (11l i;i " 'Wvr >V:!Irnds '.Viiiid'.'niis and nnicpie farnia. —i Jim. -'if.. | W:\Y.S.