342 ZOOLOGY SECT. 



except the circum-polar regions ; but some of its larger sections are 

 of limited range. The Geckos are numerous in all warm countries, 

 their headquarters being Australia and the Oriental region. The 

 snake-like Pygopidse are entirely confined to the Australian 

 region. The Agamidae (a family which includes the Flying 

 Lizards besides many others) are most abundantly represented in 

 the Australian region, though extending to other regions of the 

 Old World, except New Zealand and Madagascar. Of the Iguanas 

 two genera occur in Madagascar and one in the Friendly Islands : 

 all the other members of this group, which is a large one, are 

 confined to America. Three families occur exclusively in America 

 -the Xenosauridse, the Teiida?, and the Helodermidse or poisonous 

 Lizards. The Zonuridae or Girdle-tailed Lizards are confined to 

 Africa and Madagascar. The Anguidse or Blind- worm Lizards are 

 mostly American, but are represented in Europe and Asia. The 

 family of the Monitors is distributed in Africa, Southern Asia, 



V 



Oceania, and the Australian region. The snake-like Amphis- 

 bsenians are most numerous in America, but are well represented 

 in Africa, and occur also in the Mediterranean area. The Lacer- 

 tida? are most abundant in Africa, but occur in Europe and Asia. 

 The family of the Skinks (Scincidse) is of world-wide range, but is 

 most abundant in Australia, Oceania, the Oriental region and 

 Africa, Hatteria is confined to the New Zealand region, and at 

 the present day only occurs on certain small islands off the N.E. 

 coast and in Cook's Straits. The Chamseleons are most abundant 

 in Africa and Madagascar, but there are representatives in various 

 other parts of the Old World ; they do not occur in the Australian, 

 New Zealand, or Polynesian regions, and are only represented in 

 Europe by one species which occurs in Andalusia. 



Chelonia are widely distributed over the surface of the earth, by 

 far the greater number being natives of tropical and temperate 

 zones. The Sea-turtles, including the Hawk's bills and the Luths, 

 are for the most part, but not entirely, confined to the tropical 

 seas. Giant Land-tortoises occur, or occurred in historic times, 011 

 islands of the Galapagos and Mascarene groups. 



Of the Crocodilia the Caimans are confined to Central and 

 South America. The Alligators are represented in North America 

 by one species and in China by another. The true Crocodiles occur 

 widely distributed over Africa, Southern Asia, the northern parts 

 of Australia and tropical America, while the Gavial occurs only in 

 certain Indian and Burmese rivers. 



Geological Distribution.- -The Squamata are geologically the 

 most recent of the existing orders of Reptiles. The earliest fossil 

 remains of Lizards have been found in beds belonging to the 

 Jurassic and Cretaceous periods ; but most of the families are not 

 represented earlier than the Tertiary. All the known fossil re- 

 mains of Snakes, except one imperfectly known form from the 



