CROCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SXAKES. 671 



(4) The partially opeu chevron bones, wbicli are also continuous with 

 the centra. (5) The position of the lung ventral to the alimentary 

 canal. 



There is agreement in various subordinate features, as the single pre 

 maxillary, double frontal, and single parietal ; and the absence of supra- 

 temporal bone; also the fusion of the surangular and articular bones. 

 There are some differences to be noted. Thus, in some of the Amphis- 

 biL'uia at least, there is apparently an orbitosphenoid bone, which is 

 wanting in Anniella. The i)terygoid is more closely adherent to the 

 basis cranii in the Amphisbrenia, and there is no palatine foramen, 

 which is present in Anniella. The sj)leuial is of full size in Anniella 

 and the Meckelian groove is opeu. In the Amphisbnenia the groove is 

 closed and the splenial is much reduced. There is no epipterygoid in 

 the typical Amphisbivnia. 



The presence of scales, the papillose tongue, and the distinct tegu- 

 mentary eye fissure, with the characters above cited, define the Anniel- 

 lidii' as a very distinct family of the Amphisba^nia. The ])resence of 

 all the pelvic elements allies it to the Chirotidte rather than to the 

 Amphisb;enida'. 



Since my examination of the osteology of this genus Dr. G. Baur has 

 reexamined the subject ' and has added somewhat to our knowledge of 

 it. He discovered the epipterygoid and the jugal, and finds a rudi- 

 mentary pubis and ischium "which are united j)roximally," He 

 states that " the j)ubis has an obturator foramen," but what this means 

 is not explained. He alleges that my description is not correct, but he 

 indicates no error except the omission of the elements mentioned. 

 Some sutural lines were omitted from my figure, which are now 

 inserted. 



But one genus of the Anniellidie is known, which has the following 

 characters : 



Body vermiform ; no limbs. Eyes represented by a fissure; ears concealed. No pre- 

 anal pores. Scales soft, cycloid-hexagonal, imbricate ; nostril in a single plate. 



Anniella Gray. 



There are some characters of the skeleton of the genus Anniella in 

 which it differs from the known forms of Euchirotid;e and Amphis- 

 bienida^, whose value is uncertain. These are: (1) The internal gom- 

 phosis of the supraoccipital bone into the parietal; it is external in 

 other Annulati. (2) The angular bone is chiefly exposed on the exter- 

 nal side of the mandibular ramus. (3) There is no hypohyal process 

 of the basihyal. 



' Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1894, p. 345. 



