62 



2. Fam. Pygopodidae. 



Body vermiform, covered with roundish imbricate scales. 

 Head long and pointed, with more or less regular plates 

 above, except in Lialis, the only Indo- Australian genus; this 

 form has its head covered with small scales. Tongue thick, 

 papillose, feebly bifid anteriorly, extensible (fig. 1.2). Pleuro- 

 dont, numerous small, closely set teeth. Eye small, with vertical 

 pupil, no movable eyelids. The ear is exposed [Lialis) or cov- 

 ered by scales. No fore limbs, rudiments of hind limbs. Prae- 

 anal pores absent or present in both sexes. Tail long and fragile. 



Only one genus inhabits the Indo-Australian region. 



I. Lialis Gray. 



(Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. p. 134, 1834). 



Parietal bones fused. Teeth sharply pointed, directed back- 

 wards. Tongue elongate, narrowing towards the end, bifid. Ear 

 exposed. Head covered with small plates. Frequently slight 

 rudiments of external hind limbs are visible. Scales soft, smooth, 

 cycloid, imbricate, two median ventral and subcaudal series 

 transversely enlarged, hexagonal. Praeanal pores present. 



Distribution. New Guinea; Australia. 



Fig. 38. Lialis burtoni Gray. 



Key to the Indo-Australian species. 



A. Snout truncate at tip; 13 — 17 upper, I2 — 16 lower 



labials; 4 praeanal pores; 19 — 21 rows of scales. . . . i. Z. burtoni p. 63. 



B. Snout not truncate at tip; 17 — 22 upper, 18 — 22 lower 



labials; 6 — 8 praeanal pores; 22 rows of scales .... 2. L. jicari p. 64. 



