CROCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 209^ 



Boiilenger,' in enumerating these characters, includes "vomer sin- 

 gle" and "a supratemporal bone presient'' as of such importance as to 

 require their separation as a suborder. The character '^ vomer single" 

 is, however, an error, as the "vomer" (= maxillopalatines) is paired as 

 in other Sauria. What is here called vomer is the inferior spine of the 

 premaxillary. The supratemporal is homologous with that found in 

 nearly all other Sauria. 



But one family of Rhiptoglossa is known, as follows: 



Teeth uciodont — that is, rooted in alveoli and coossified with their walls; external 

 nasal openings bounded by the prefrontal and maxillary bones only; no epiptery- 

 goid; usual cranial arches present; vertebnB procoolous; a sternum; no inter- 

 clavicle ; no osseous scales Cham/ELeonid^. 



OHAM^LEONID^. 



Cameh'oniena Cuvier, Regne Anira., II, 1817, p. 50. 



Prendentia MEHRE^r, Tent. Syst. Amph., 1820, p. 161. 



Chamwleonidw Gray, Ann. Phil. (2), X, 1825, p. 200. 



Chamwleonoidea Fiizingek, Neuo Classif. Rept., 1826, p. 15. 



Thecoglossw Wagler, part, Syst. Amph., 1830, p. 163. 



ChavKvleontes Wiegmann, Herp. Mex., 1834, p. 13. 



Caviele'oniens or Chelopodes Dumeril and Bibron, Erp. Gen., Ill, 1836, p. 153. 



Chamcvlonlcs FiTZiNGER, Syst. Rept., 1843, p. 41. 



Chama'.leonidce Gray, Cat. Liz,, 1845, p. 264. 



Chammleontida; Cope, Proc, Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1864, p. 226. 



This family possesses numerous peculiar characters besides those of 

 the superfamily to which it has been referred. Some of these are 

 found also in the Agamidfe. They are as follows: 



Coronoid bone produced posteriorly on outside of ramus. 



Articular present; separate from angular. Splenial reduced, more 

 frecjuently wanting. Subarticular small on outer, much prolonged on 

 inner face of ramus. 



Groove from si)lenial to mental foramina not closed over Meckel's 

 cartilage. 



Premaxillary nearly always separated from vomer by maxillaries. 



Pterygoids not touching body of sphenoid or reaching quadrate. 



Parietal single, receiving the gomphosis of loosely attached occipital 

 segment internally. Frontals united. 



Sternum without fontanelle. 



ISTo angular process of mandible. 



Abdominal ribs present. 



The viscera present the following peculiarities : The observations are 

 made on Chanuvhon hasiliscns and G.idaniceps. The liver is adjacent to 

 the heart, and is compressed, so tliat the vertical diameter much exceeds 

 the transverse. It is two lobed, the left lobe much smaller in every 

 way than the right. The gall bladder is entirely posterior to, but 

 adjacent to, the liver. The alimentary canal exhibits stomach, small 



' Oat. Liz. Brit. Mus., 2d ed., Ill, p. 437. 

 NAT MUS IKS — U 



