104 REPTILES AND BIRDS. 



body is green, variegated, spotted, and reticulated or ocellated with 

 black, having large round blue spots upon the flanks ; the under-part 

 of the body is white, frosted with green ; in size it is about twenty 

 inches. They are found at Fontainebleau, in the south of France, and 

 in Spain. They secrete themselves in hard sand, often between two 

 beds of calcareous rock, upon some steep declivity, more or less 

 directly exposed to the south ; they are also found between the roots 

 of old stems, either in hedgerows or vineyards. They feed almost 

 exclusively on insects ; but are said to attack mice, shrews, frogs, and 

 even snakes, and to destroy the eggs of the partridge. They have 

 sometimes been tamed. 



In the genus Ophiops, two species of which inhabit Asia Minor, 

 and one of them the shores of the Mediterranean, the eyelid is 

 'rudimentary and the eye exposed, whence the name, signifying 

 " snake eye." So far as known, the habits of the various Lizards 

 which constitute the family of Laccrtidce are much the same. 



The family of Teidee is peculiar to the New World, and some of 

 the species attain to the length of several feet. In these Lizards the 

 head is pyramidal, and is covered with regular many-sided shields ; 

 supra-orbital plate horny ; the teeth solid and well rooted ; tongue 

 elongate, flat, free (rarely slightly sheathed at its base) ; the scales 

 of the back are regular and keeled, and of a rhombic shape ; sides 

 flat, and covered with small granular scales \ the throat scaly, with 

 a double collar, rarely indistinct. 



In some the throat has two cross-folds, with large six-sided scales 

 within ; and of these some have the ventral shields small, long, and 

 smooth, while others have them much broader. The former are known 

 as the Teguexins (Terns and Callopistes), and the latter as the Ameivas 

 (Ameiva, and three other genera). One species of Teguexin, Teius 

 teguexm, may commonly be seen alive in the London Zoological 

 Gardens. This is a large and powerful Lizard, exceeding five feet in 

 length when full grown, and extremely active. It feeds on small living 

 animals of any kind, and will even devour poultry or their eggs, for 

 which latter it manifests an especial liking. Sometimes it has been 

 known to prey on kindred lizards, as the Ameivas. The teeth of this 

 species are strong, and they can bite with much severity. It is a bold 

 and determined combatant when attacked, and if it succeeds in seizing 

 its foe, retains its hold with pertinacity. Its flesh is eaten by some 

 people, who consider it excellent. Together with a second species, 

 T. nigropunctatus, it inhabits Brazil, and two species of Callopistes are 

 also South American, one of them occurring as far south as Chili. 

 The species of this family, although strong and agile, never ascend 



