BASILISK, bizl-lisk, according to Pliny (lib. c. 21), a kind of serpent found in the African deserts, named basiliskos, or little king, because its body was marked with bright spots, and those on the head had the appearance of a crown or diadem. It had a very pointed head, with fiery eyes, and was of a dark color, verging to blackness. All other snakes were said to fly from the sound of its hissing; and instead of trailing along like other serpents the basilisk its ts body nearly erect, and, as it passed along killed the herbs and fruits by its touch, and even by its breath. Yet this monster was destroyed by weasels. If these fables had ref erence to any real animal, it is probable that it was a species somewhat similar to the cobra de copello, or the asp viper. Both are accus tomed to erect a very considerable part of the body, though not to move forward in this way. It is highly probable that the basilisk of the ancients was merely a creature of fiction.
The name is now applied to one of the Cen tral and South American lizards of the family Igualeide and genus Basiliscus, remarkable for the high and erectile crests which are devel oped along the back and tail of the males. They have long legs and long flexible toes, enabling them to climb trees with great activity. They prefer such trees as overhang the water, into which they plunge at any sign of danger. They feed entirely upon vegetable matter. The best known species is Basiliscus americans, which has a length of nearly three feet, three-fifths of which is tail. In color the basilisks are green and brown, with dark cross-bars on the back, and the crest of the males is red. In early spring they lay about a dozen eggs in a hole among the roots of a tree. See also IGUANA.