CHAP. XIX.] 



REPTILES. 



399 



Family 48.— ACONTIAD^. (3 Genera, 7 Species.) 



General Distribution. 



Neotropical 

 Sub-regions. 



Neakctic 

 Sub-regions. 



Pal^arctic I Ethiopian i Oriental | Australian 



SUB-KEGIONS. I SUB-REQION.S. SuB-REOIOVS. | SUBRKOIONS. 



2.3.4-1 — 2 



1 



This small family of snake-like Lizards has a very curious dis- 

 tribution, being found in South and West Africa, Madagascar, 

 Ceylon, and Ternate in the Moluccas. Acontias (4 sp.), is found 

 in the four first-named localities ; Nessia (2 sp.), is confined to 

 Ceylon ; Typhloscincus (1 sp.), to Ternate. 



Family 49.— GECKOTIDJE. (50 Genera, 200 Species.) 



The Geckoes, or Wall-Lizards, form an extensive family, of 

 almost universal distribution in the warmer parts of the globe ; 

 and they must have some exceptional means of dispersal, since 

 they are found in many of the most remote islands of the great 

 oceans, — as the Galapagos, the Sandwich Islands, Tahiti, New 

 Zealand, the Loo-Choo and the Seychelle Islands, the Nicobar 

 Islands, Mauritius, Ascension, Madeira, and many others. The 

 following are the larger and more important genera : — 



Oedura (3 sp,), Australia; Diplodadylus (8 sp)., Australia, 

 South Africa, and California ; Phyllodadylus (8 sp.), widely 

 scattered in Tropical America, California, Madagascar, and 

 Queensland ; Hemidactylus (40 sp.), all tropical and warm 

 countries ; Peropus (12 sp.), the Oriental region, Papuan Islands, 

 Mauritius, and Brazil ; Pentadadylus (7 sp.), Oriental region and 

 Australia; Gecko (12 sp.). Oriental region to New Guinea and 



