52 



Order III. SQUAMATA. 



Quadrate bone free distally ; no lower temporal arch. Kibs 

 single-headed. No plastron. Teeth not implanted in alveoli, 

 xlual opening transverse. Copulatory organ present, paired. 



Three Suborders : — 



1. LACERTiLIA, Lizards. — Nasal bones entering the border 

 of the nasal apertures ; pterygoid in contact with quadrate ; 

 vomers distinct ; mandibular rami united by suture. Pec- 

 toral arch or its vestiges present ; clavicle present whenever 

 the limbs are developed. Tongue flattened. 

 II. RHIPT0GL0S8A, Chamdeons.—^vm^l bones not bounding 

 nasal apertures ; pterygoid not reaching quadrate ; vomer 

 single ; mandibular rami united by suture. Clavicle absent ; 

 limbs well developed. Tongue vermiform, projectile. 

 III. OPHIDIA, SnaJces. — Nasal bones bounding nasal apertures ; 

 vomers distinct ; mandibular rami connected by ligament. 

 No trace of pectoral arch. Tongue flattened and bilid at the 

 end, and sheathed at the base. 



Suborder I. LACERTILIA. 



Lizards may be distinguished from Snakes, apart from the 

 osteological characters given above, either by the presence of tour 

 limbs, or in all tbe limbless forms, which are not very numerous, by 

 the tongue not being retractile into a basal sheath, as in the Oj/hidUi. 

 Eyelids and an ear-opening, absent in all Snakes, are usually, 

 though not always, distinct in limbless Lizards. Only one type of 

 Lizards, the American JJclodenna, is known to be poisonous. 



This suborder is divided into 20 families, of which the following 

 8 are represented in the Indian fauna. 



iSyno2yi>is of ladiaa Fainilies. 



A. TuugLie smooth or with villose papillie ; clavicle diljitud, loop- 



shaped proximally ; uo postorbital or postfi'outo-.squamosal arches. 



Vertebrae amphiccelian ; parietal bones distinct Fam. L Geckonidae. 

 Vertebree procoelian ; parietal single Fam. 2. Eublepharidae. 



B. Tongue smooth or with villose papillte ; clavicle not dilated 



proximally. 



Postorbital and posttruutu-squamosal arches present ; 



supratemporal fossa uot routed over by boue ; 



tongue thick; acrodont Fam. 3. Agamidae. 



Postorbital and postfronto- squamosal arches present; 



supratemporal fossa rooted over ; bodv with 



