

I HALOGUE OF SHIELD REPTILES. 



Baal Africa. 

 4. ( Vnmmi Itimira. Guinea. 



i africana. W. Afrioa, 



I'ani. I.I ril'o-ii KM I' 1 . 



Tribe Cephalopeltino. 

 MoHOtrophi\ttipmais. 8. Africa. 

 7. DafopMa FPUwtKtoAn. W. Africa. 



fPigstam Hemisphere. 



r.mi. CiiiKoTin.i:. 

 1. ( !.i,it<s Utmbricoidee. Mexico. 



Fam. AuPBiaBJBNms. 



L'. .1 - ■.,'?■).<>>. i,i,i nihil. Brazil. 



British Guiana. 



4. A. PetreL BraziL 



5. A. vermicularis. Brazil. 



6. A. llmrinii. Monte Video, Buenos Ayres. 



7. Bronia hrasillmw. Brazil. 

 v . 8 '. W. Indies. 

 9. C.;./.</ jKinit'itit. Cuba. 



In. Anops Kingii. Buenos Ayres. 



Fam. LF.rrDosTEBinD^;. 



11. iion microctphal tun. Brazil. 



12. L. Orayi. Tropical America. 

 1 i '•. L. phocorna. Buenos Ayres. 



Tribe CepJialopeltina. 



14. Cephahpeltislepidosterna. Brazil. 



The rings of oblong scutella on the skin are in most 



- interrupted on the sides, and in some species also 



on the vertebral line ; these interruptions form a more or 



Less wide depressed groove on the surface of the body, and 



are called the lateral and dorsal lines. 



The skin at this interruption is usually marked at each 

 transverse ring with two oblique grooves, which form a 

 cross and divide the space into four minute triangular 

 shields ; in some cases, where the line is wider and less 

 sunken, the transverse ring of shields is only divided at the 

 sunken line by a single oblique groove caused by the 

 tapering end of one of the oblong shields going before the 

 end of the other. Sometimes this is the case with the 

 dorsal line, and not with the lateral one. In some of the 

 B, instead of only the four triangular shields in the 

 i line, the shield between the cross groove is divided 

 into several minute scale-like shields. 



In some of the Larger species, as Amphisbcena alba, some 



of the rings of shields are marked with an oblique groove 

 crossing several shields, dividing each of them into two 

 parts; bul these seem to bo mere individual variations 

 occurring on several parts of the back of some specimens, 

 and no! present in cithers. 



Dume'ril and Bibron givo the number of tho teeth as one 

 of the specific characters. I have not been able to verify 

 their observations ; they givo the following as the number. 

 There seems to be always an odd number of intermaxillary 

 teeth, the middle one being usually large. 



Trogonophis Wiegmanni 



Chirotcs caniculatus 



Amphisbcena americana and A. alba. . 



Petrei 



Darwinii 



Sarea cmca 



Cadea punctata 



Anops Kingii ] 4 



Blanus cinereus 



1 4 -7-4 _15 

 j 7.7 14 



SYNOPSIS OF THE FAMILIES AND GENERA. 



I. Teeth conical, on the edge of the maxilla. 

 I. TROGONOPHID.E. 

 1. Trogonophis. 



II. Teeth on inner side of maxilla. 

 n. CHIROTID.S:. Body co vered with uniform, four-sided shields. 

 Legs two, anterior. 



1. Chirotes. 



m. amphisb^NIDjE. Body covered with uniform square scales. 

 Legs none. 



Tribe I. Amphisbjenina. Head depressed, rounded on the 

 sides in front ; nostrils on the upper part of the sides of the 

 head. 



A. Lateral and dorsal lines distinct. 



1. Blanus. 



B. Lateral lines distinct. Dorsal none, or very indistinct. 

 a. Nasal plates large, extending across themuzzk. 



2. Amphisbsena. Head broad, depressed. 



3. Cynisca. Head narrow ; nose conical. 



b. Nasal shields small, separate above on the side of a large swollen 

 rostral shield. 



4. Bronia. 



