LACERTILIA. 



353 



squamosal arches ; antero-lateral walls of skull completely closed by bone 

 as in Ophidia ; biurowers, may live in ant's nests and nianui-e heaps, can 

 progress backwards, and forwards in their burrows by slight vertical 

 undulations ; Amer., W. Indies, Africa and round Mediterranean. 

 Chirotes Cuv., Mexico, California, Platte River ; Blanus Wagl., borders of 

 Mediterranean ; Amphisbaena L. (Fig. 193), trop. Amer. and Afr. ; Anops 

 Bell, S.E. S.-Amer., W. Afr. ; Geocalamus E. Afr. ; Monopeltis Smith, Afr.; 

 Rhineura Cope, Florida ; Lepidosiernon Wagl., S. Amer. ; Trogonophis 

 Kaup, N.-W. Afr. Pachycalamus Gthr., Socotra ; 

 Agamodon Ptrs., E. Afr. 



Fam. 16. Lacertidae. Pleurodont ; tongue long, 

 bifid, with papillae or folds ; pterygoid often witli 

 teeth ; pterygoids and palatines separate mesially ; 

 postorbital and postfronto-temporal arches complete, 

 temporal fossa roofed over by large postfrontals and 

 by osteoderms ; no osteoderms on body ; limbs well 

 developed, pentadactylQ ; tail long, brittle ; some 

 genera have a transparent patch in the lower eyelid, 

 so that they can see when the eye is shut (Eremias, 

 Cahrita etc.), and in Ophiops the lower eyelid is fused 

 with the upper ; about 20 genera and 100 species, 

 Old World, but not in Madagascar or Australia. 

 Acanthodactylus Wieg., S. Spain and Portugal, Afr. 

 n. of eq., S.W. Asia ; Algiroides Bibr., E. coast of 

 Adriatic, Greece, Sai'dinia, Corsica ; Aporosaura 

 Blgr., W. Afr. ; Cahrita, Gr., India ; Eremias Wiegm.. 

 Afr., Asia; Gastropholis Fisch., E. Afr.; Holaspis 

 Gr., W. Afr. ; Ichnotropis Ptrs., Afr. s. of eq. 

 Lacerta L., Eur., N. and W. Asia, Afr. north of 

 equator, L. vivipara Jacq. the common English Liz- 

 ard, tlie only reptile found in Ireland ; the yoving 

 are hatched in the uterus or directly after the eggs 

 are laid ; L. agilis L. sand lizard, also found in S. 

 of England; L. viridis Laur., found in Jersey; L. 

 oz?llata Daud. the eyed-Lizard, S. France, JST.W. of 

 Italy, Spain, Portugal ; L. muralis Laur., S. Eur., N. 

 Afr., Asia Minor, Latastia Bedr., E. Afr., Arabia ; 

 Nucras Gr., trop. and S. Afr. ; Ophiops Men., Turkey , 

 N.-Afr., Asia ; Poromera Blgr., W. Afr. ; Psammo- 

 dromus Fitz., S.W. Evu-., N. Afr. ; Scapteira Wieg., C. 

 Asia, S. Afr. ; Tachydromus Daud., E. Asia, Japan, 

 Ind. Archipelago ; Tropidosaura Fitz., S. Afr. 



Fam. 17. Gerrhosauridae. Pleurodont, with 

 osteoderms on head and body ; limbs sometimes 

 reduced ; Africa S. of Sahara, and Madagascar. Ger- 

 rhosaurus Wieg., T etradactylus Merr., Cordylosaurus 

 Gr., Zonosaurus Blgr., Madagascar ; Tracheloptychus Ptrs., Madagascar. 



Fam. 18. Scincidae. Pleurodont, with strongly developed osteoderms 

 on head and body ; tongue scaly, feebly nicked ; premaxillaries sometimes 

 separated ; cranial arches complete ; limbs may be reduced or absent, but 

 this feature is not an indication of affinity within the family , there may be 

 a transparent disc on the lower eyelid ; all are viviparous ; nearly 30 

 genera, and 400 species, cosmopolitan including Pacific Islands. 



Z — II A A 



FlQ. 193. — Amphisbaena 

 fuHffinosa (K^gne 



animal). 



