88 REPTILES AND BATRACHIANS 



The majority of Skinks frequent dry, arid districts, being 

 specially adapted for living in the sand ; some, however, 

 live in herbage, and a few are arboreal. 



The Common Skink, Scincus officinalis, of the Sahara, 

 called Sand-fish by the Arabs, moves with marvellous 

 rapidity in the sand, its wedge-shaped snout and its 

 flattened, fringed digits being specially suited to the 

 purpose. It is further characterized by its body being 



<3^ 



^^mr?^^ 



Fig. 4. — Hind legs of Skinks, to show gradual abortion. 



a. Chalcides ocellatus. t. Chalcides mionecton. 



i, Chalcides tridactylus. d. Lygosoma lineopunctulatum. 



e. Lygosoma guentheri. 



{Jfler B.M. Guide to Reptiles.) 



angular on the sides of the much flattened belly. The 

 colour of the upper surfaces is pale yellowish, with fre- 

 quently dark brown, mauve, or purple transverse bars ; 

 the lower surfaces are uniform white. This handsome 

 lizard unfortunately requires an extremely high tempera- 

 ture, such as it is practically impossible to supply it with 

 in a vivarium, and consequently lives but a few months 

 under captive conditions. 



The OcELLATED Sand Skink, Chalcides ocellatus, another 



