140 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



dodging from one covert to another to escape its pur- 

 suers. It occurs in dry sandy regions, where it may be 

 seen by roadsides among the shrubbery, or running along 

 the lower rails of fences. They are generally found in 

 pairs, but nowhere abundantly, at least not in Missouri. 

 They live from insects; and in turn seem to be welcome 

 prey for snakes. 



Dates of capture. — May 2, 20 ; July 14 ; Sept. 5. 

 Family Scincidae. 



Tongue thin, flat, moderately long, free and slightly notched in front; 

 covered with overlapping scale-like papillae. Teeth pleurodont. Head 

 with symmetrical plates. Nostrils generally in one plate. Basal por- 

 tion of scales ossified. Praemaxillae double. 



Key to the Genera in Missouri. 



With two supranasals. * Lower eyelid scaly. Anterior margin of 

 ear-opening with several projecting scales. Palate with two 

 slits, one from each nostril. Eumeces. 



No supranasals. Lower eyelid with a transparent central part. 

 Ear-opening with no projecting scales. Palate cleft by a single 

 median slit. Leiolopisma. 



Genus eumeces. 



Limbs well developed. Nostril pierced in the nasal plate. Eyelids 

 with scales. Tympanic disk distinct, deeply sunken. Maxillary teeth 

 with conical or rounded crowns. Pterygoid teeth present. Palatine not 

 meeting in the median line; palate therefore with two clefts, one from 

 each nostril. (Hay.) 



41. Eumeces quinquelineatus Linnaeus. Blue-tailed Liz- 

 ard. Bed-headed Lizard. Scorpion. 



Eumeces fasciatus, Lacerta quinquelineata, Lacerta fasciata, Lacerta 

 tristata, Scincus laticeps, Scineus quinquelineatus, Scincus tristatus, 

 Scincus erythrocephalus, Scincus bicolor, Scincus americanus, Tili- 

 qua quinquelineata. Tiliqua bicolor, Plestiodon laticeps, Plestiodon 

 quinquelineatum, Scincus fasciatus, Eumeces laticeps, Mabuya 

 quinquelineata, Euprepis quinquelineata et fasciata, Euprepis de 

 catesby, Plestiodon erythrocephalus, Tiliqua erythrocephala, La- 

 certa cauda caerulea. 



Description. — Head short, obtuse. Cheeks strongly swollen in old 

 full grown specimens. Nasals small, the anterior pierced by the nostril 

 and followed by a small postnasal, which forms a suture with the first 



