LA.CERTID.*:. 



167 



Family VI. LACEE-TID^l. 



Skull with bony postorbital and post 

 frouto-squamosal arches ; praemaxillary sin- 

 gle ; nasals distinct ; parietal single ; a 

 fibre-cartilaginous interorbital septum ; a 

 columella cranii. Skull with bony dermal 

 plates, roofing over the supratemporal 

 fossae. Dentition pleurodont. Clavicle 

 dilated and perforated proxirnally; inter- 

 clavicle cruciform. Tongue flat, elongate, 

 bifid in front and behind, covered with 

 rhomboidal scale-like papillae or overlapping 

 plicae converging forwards. Limbs well 

 developed. Tail long, fragile. Pupil round; 

 eyelids well developed. Ear distinct. 

 Femoral pores usually distinct. Head 

 with symmetrical shields. Dorsal scales 

 juxtaposed or imbricate, usually smaller 



Acanthodactylus'cantoris. than the ventrals, which form longitudinal 



and transverse series. 

 Distribution. Europe, Asia, and Africa. In the Indian Eegion 



the species are but few in number. 



Fig. 51. Tongue of 



Synopsis of Indian, Ceylonese, and Burinese Genera. 



[p. 170. 



ACANTHODACTYLUS, 



A. Inguinal, but no femoral pores ; dorsal 



scales large and keeled ; flanks granular. TACHYDEOMUS, p. 168. 



B. Femoral pores. 



a. Nostrils pierced between two nasals and 



the first labial ; digits fringed laterally. 



b. Nostril not touching the first labial. 



a'. Lower eyelid with a very large trans- 

 parent disk, through which the eye 

 is entirely visible ; dorsal scales 

 pointed, imbricate, and strongly 

 keeled. 

 ". Lower eyelid distinct from the 



rudimentary upper CABRITA, p. 171. 



b". No movable eyelids, the lower 



having fused with the upper .... OPHIOPS, p. 173. 

 b'. Lower eyelid scaly or with a small 

 transparent disk ; dorsal scales 

 granular. 



a". Digits not fringed laterally EBEMIAS, p. 176. 



b". Digits fringed laterally SCAPTEIEA, p. 179. 



