346 RELATIONSHIP OF TEE GENUS ANNIELLA—BAUB. vol. xvii. 



The Anelytropida? contain Typhlosaurus, Feylinia, (and Anelytrops) ; 

 the Acontidne the genus Acontias; the Anniellidfe the genus Amii- 

 ella. Cope continues : 



The remarkable genus Anuiella lacks the squamosal [quadratojugal] and columella, 

 and has a siugle premaxillai'y. The parietal is continuous with the superior plate 

 of the temporal [squamosal], and is much decurved toward the sphenoid; the frontal 

 encloses the olfactory lobes below; these characters are the most amphisbseuian 

 in the order. There are small pre- and postfrontal bones, and a slender ligamentous 

 postorbital arch. I have as yefc found no sternal pieces, and the splenio-mental 

 groove is closed, as in Acontias. 



The same view is held by* Cope * in 1871 and 1875. 



Boulengert in 1884 adopted the families Anniellidte and Anely- 

 tropidae, but united the Acontiidne with the Sciucidse. 



The Anniellida^ are placed between the Anguidfe and Heloderma- 

 tida^, and the following characters are given: 



No interorbital septum, no columella cranii, no arches. 



The year following the family was characterized thus; | 



Teeth large, few, fang-like, with short swollen base. Palate toothless. Skull 

 approaching the Ophidian type, i. e., lacking the prfesphenoidal vacuity and conse- 

 quently the interorbital septum, and the bones which constitute the brain-case 

 firmly united; no columella cranii, no squamosal; postorbital arch ligamentous; 

 pterygoids in contact with sphenoid; an infraorbital fossa; prsemaxillary single; 

 nasal and frontal divided; parietal single; prje- and postorbital in contact, sepa- 

 rating the frontal from the border of the orbit; scales soft. 



Of Anuiella, he says: 



It appears to be a strongly degraded form of the Anguidse, similarly as the Anely- 

 tropidje and Dibamidfc are to the Scincidse. 



Gill,§ reviewing Boulenger's classification of the Lacertilia, places 

 the Anniellidte in a superfamily Annielloidea, between the Heloderma- 

 tidjie and Anguidae. 



Shortly after, Cope|| created for the Anniellidae a special suborder, 

 Anguisauri, which he placed after the Tyx)hlophthalmi, in a special 

 group, including the Opheosauri (Amphisbnenians). The characters of 

 this group were given as " Prootic bone produced beyond arched body; 

 one suspensorium (=opisthotic [squamosal]) wanting; pelvic arch rudi- 

 mentary or wanting," and the characters of the Anguisauri : " Frontal 

 bone underarchiug olfactory lobes; supraoccipital gomphosis internal, 



*COPE, E. D. — On ihe homologies of some of the cranial bones of Eeptilia and on 

 the systematic arrangement of the class. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Science, xix, 1871, p. 

 237. ■ 



Cope, E. D. — Check-list of North American Batrachia and Reptilia. Bull. 11. S. 

 Nat. Mus., I, p. 44. 1875. 



t BouLENGER, G. A. — Syuopsis of the families of the existing Lacertilia. Ann. Mag. 

 Nat. Hist. (5), xiv, London, 1884, pp. 117-122. 



t BouLENGER, G. A. — Catalogue of Lizards in the British Museum, ii, pp. 299-300. 



^ Gill, Th. — Annual Eeport of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Inst, to 

 July, 1885, Part i, pp. 799-801. 1886. 



II Cope, E. D.— Catalogue of the Batrachians and Reptiles of Central America and 

 Mexico. Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., xxxii, 1887, pp. 25-26. 



