LIZARDS. 



57 



Fam. VI. Chlacides, (Chalcid.e). 



Head covered with regular many-sided shields. Temples 

 shielded. Tongue squamose, with 2 small pointed tips. Palate 

 toothless. Nostrils lateral, between the first labial, and a nasal 

 plate. Eyelid distinct. Ears hidden under the skin. Limbs 4, 

 very short, rudimentary. Femoral pores none. Body elongate, 

 cylindrical, with a slight granular groove on the front of each side. 

 Scales of the back and tail 4 or 6-sided, imbricate, in cross bands ; 

 of the belly square. 



Synopsis of the Genera, 



1. Brachypus. Hind feet with 4 clawed toes. 



2. MiCRODACTYLUS. Hind feet with 3 tubercles. 



3. Chalcis. Hind feet undivided. Scales square. 



4. Bachia. Hind feet undivided. Scales 6-sided. 



1. Brachypus, Fitz.^ Weigmann, not Swains. 



Head with 2 internasals ; the interparietal as large as the pa- 

 rietal ; 4 pair of palpebrals. Scales of the back 6-sided, narrow, 

 thin, flat. Toes 4-4, clawed. 



^ The Short-foot. Brachypus Cuvieri, Fitz. Rept. 50. Dum. 

 et Bib. E. G. v. 453. Chalcide de quadredoigts, Cuv. R. A. ii. QQ. 



Brown or fulvous, with a pale streak on each side ; ventral 

 shields 6-rowed. 



Inhab. N. America, Columbia. Mus. Paris. 



2. MiCRODACTYLUS, TschucU. 



Head with an internasal ; 3 pair of palpebral plates, and an 

 oblong triangular interparietal and no frontonasal shield. Scales 

 of the back and sides rectangular, very narrow, smooth. Legs ve- 

 ry short. Toes 3-3, like tubercles. 



The MiCRODACTYLE. Microdactylus gracilis, Tsckudi, Mus. 

 Leyd. Chalcides Schlegelii, Diun. et Bib. E. G. v. 457. 



Olive brown, below fulvous ; dorsal scales in 25, and ventral 

 shields in 8, longitudinal series; preanal plates 3. 



Inhab. " India, Calcutta." Mus. Leyden. 



3. Chalcis, Menem. Chalcides, Bonat, Weigm. Chamagsaura, 

 Schn. Colobus, Merrem., not lUiger. 



Head without any internasal, rostral or interparietal shields, 

 with 2 pair of palpebral. Scales of the back and sides rectangu- 

 lar, narrow, smooth. Toes 3-1, front tubercular, hind style-like. 



