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 sea-weed, or it entered
some crevice. As soon as it thought the danger was past, it crawled
out on the dry rocks, and shuffled away as quickly as it could. I
several times caught this same lizard, by driving it down to a
point, and though possessed of such perfect powers of diving and
swimming, nothing would induce it to enter the water; and as often
as I threw it in, it returned in the manner above described.
Perhaps this singular piece of apparent stupidity may be accounted
for by the circumstance that this reptile has no enemy whatever on
shore, whereas at sea it must often fall a prey to the numerous
sharks.
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