146 boim: 



that I am aware of, but, as some of the exotic species 

 of which we know something more lay large, elon- 

 gate eggs, it is probable that this species also is 

 oviparous. 



Second Family : BOID^E 



Maxillary, palatine, and pterygoid bones movable; 

 transverse bone present ; pterygoid extending to 

 quadrate or mandible ; supratemporal present, at- 

 tached scale-like to cranium, suspending quadrate ; 

 prefrontal in contact with nasal ; a coronoid element 

 in the lower jaw. Teeth in both jaws. Vestiges of 

 pelvis and hind limbs, usually terminating, at least 

 in males, ir a claw-like horny spur on each side of 

 the vent. 



This family contains, besides the gigantic Boas 

 and Pythons, several small more or less burrowing 

 forms, among which the genus Eryx, its only 

 European representative, belonging to the sub- 

 family Boinse, characterized by the absence of a 

 supratemporal bone and of premaxillary teeth. 

 This subfamily, the largest members of which inhabit 

 tropical America, is distributed over the hotter 

 parts of America, Asia west of the Bay of Bengal, 

 Madagascar, the Mascarene Islands, Africa north of 

 the equator, Papuasia,and some islands of the South 

 Pacific. The habitat of the European species is 

 confined to the eastern and southern countries of 

 the Mediterranean district. 



This very varied family, including terrestrial, 



