LACERTID.T. 



167 



Family VI. LACERTID^. 



Skull with bouy postorbital aud post 

 frouto-squamosal arches ; prtemaxillary sin- 

 gle ; nasals distinct ; parietal single ; a 

 tibro-cartilaginous interorbital septum ; a 

 columella cranii. Skull with bony dermal 

 plates, roofing over the supratemporal 

 fossae. Dentition pleurodont. Clavicle 

 dilated and perforated proximally ; 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 synnnetrical sliields. Dorsal scales 

 juxtaposed or imbricate, usually smaller 

 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 

 Acanthodactylus cantoris 



Sijnopsis of Indian, Oeylonese, and Burmese Genera. 



Tachydromus, p. 168. 



[p. 170. 

 Acanthodactylus, 



A. Inguinal, but no femoral pores ; dorsal 



scales large and keeled ; flanks granular. 



B. Femoral pores. 

 «. Nostrils pierced between two nasals and 



the flrst 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. 

 a" . Lower eyelid distinct from the 



rudimentary upper Cabeita, p. 171. 



//'. No movable eyelids, the lower 



having fused with the ujjper .... Ophiops, p. 173. 

 h' . Lower eyelid scaly or with a small 

 transparent disk ; dorsal scales 

 granular. 



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



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



