158 ANGUIDjE. 



anterior border very slightly denticulated ; upper head-scales 

 smooth, much larger than those on the body, smallest on supra- 

 ocular region ; occipital not enlarged ; labials small and numerous. 

 Neck strongly plicate. Scales on upper surface very small, uniform 

 or with slightly enlarged ones forming irregular cross series on the 

 back ; ventral scales larger, flat, smooth, juxtaposed or subimbri- 

 cate. Limbs short and thick ; hind limb with spinose conical 

 tubercles ; digits short. 9 to 11 femoral, and 5 or 6 prseanal pores 

 on each side. Tail above with cross series of enlarged spinose 

 scales, largest on the sides, gradually decreasing in size towards the 

 median line ; the rows of spines separated from each other by two 

 to four rows of small keeled scales ; lower surface of tail covered 

 with small scales scarcely larger than the abdominals. Sand- 

 coloured above, uniform or with darker dots or verraiculations ; 

 lower surfaces whitish ; a large black spot on the anterior face of 

 the thigh. 



From snout to vent 5 inches ; tail 7. 



Hob. North -western India and Baluchistan in semi-deserts. 



Family IV. ANGUID^l. 



Skull with bony postorbital and postfronto-squamosal arches ; 

 dermal cranial ossifications are present, which roof over the 

 supratemporal fossa ; prsemaxillary single ; nasals distinct ; 

 parietal single ; a fibre-cartilaginous interorbital septum ; a colu- 

 mella cranii (ectopterygoid). Dentition pleurodont. Body pro- 

 tected by bony plates underlying the scales. Clavicle slender. 

 Tongue moderately elongate, bifid posteriorly, 

 nicked anteriorly, composed of two distinct 

 portions : a principal posterior, thick, covered 

 with villiform papilla?, and a small anterior, 

 extrusible and retractile into a sheath formed 

 by a transverse fold at the anterior extremity 

 of the villose portion. Head with symmetrical 

 shields. Scales imbricate. No femoral or 

 pra?anal pores. 



The type of this family is the well-known 

 European Slow-worm (Anguis fragilis). The 

 only Indian species (Ophisaurus gracilis), 



TT- AR rr A e likewise apodal and serpentiform, belongs to 

 rig. 4b. Head or i i TVT ji 



Ophisaunts gracilis. a genus which is represented by two .North- 

 American species, one Europseo-Asiatic, 



ranging from Dalmatia to Afghanistan, and a fifth .from Morocco. 



The family (45 species) is otherwise confined to the New World. 



