134 



are abandoned to theii* fate, but when the young are hatched they are- 

 treated with the utmost gentleness by all the adults. 



Family IV. ANGUIDJi:. 



Lizards having an elongated, slender body, sometimes extremely so. 

 Limbs present or absent ; when present they may be well developed or 

 rudimentary. Dentition various. Tongue with the posterior portion 

 thick and covered with villiform papillae, the anterior portion thin, flat, 

 notched in front, and covered with overlapping scale-like papillse. Plates 

 of the upper surface of the head large ; an unpaired occipital plate alwayS' 

 present. Epidermal scales of the body underlaid with bony plates. 



A family containing 7 genera and about 45 species. Living for the 

 most part in the Americas, but represented likewise in Europe and Asia. 

 We have only the following genus : 



Genus OPHISAURUS, Baud. 



Ophisauriis, Daudin, 1803, 69, vii, 346; Boulenger, 1885, 39, ii, 281;. 

 Ophiosaurus, Wagler, 1830, 75, 150. 



Elongated, snake-like lizards, with very rudimentary limbs or usually 

 with none at all, the tail forming considerably more than one-half the 

 total length. Body with a fold on each side, ending at the vent. Scales 

 placed in straight rows longitudinally and transversely. Teeth on 

 pterygoid, sometimes also on palatines and vomer. Teeth pointed or 

 rounded. 



This genus is represented by five species. We have only one of these^ 



Ophisaurus ventralis, (Linn.). 



Glass-snake ; Joint-snake. 



Anguis ventralis, Linnieus, 1766, 6^, ed. xii, 391 ; Ophisaurus ventralis, 

 Daudin, 1803, 6'5, vii, 352; Holbrook,'l842, 5^, iii, 139, pi. 20; Boulen- 

 ger, 1885, 29, ii, 281; Opheosaurus ventralis, Cope, 1875, 12, 46. 



Long, slender and snake-like. Head small, narrow, not separated from 

 the body by a distinct neck. Snout long and tapering to the rounded 

 tip. Upper surface of the head with a large vertical plate. Behind this 

 is the interparietal, with a minute whitish spot, the " pineal eye." Behind 

 this plate is the small occipital. Ear opening in a line with the mouth ; 

 larger than the nostril. Palatine teeth present. The pterygoid teeth in 

 three to five longitudinal series. Teeth all conical. 



On the dorsal surface, between the lateral folds, are 14 to 16 longitudinal 

 rows of scales ; between the folds across the lower surface are 10 rows; 

 between the head and the vent are about 120 transverse rows. All the 



