CHAP. XIX.] 



REPTILES. 



399 



FAMILY 48. ACONTIAD.E. (3 Genera, 7 Species.) ' 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION. 



NEOTROPICAL 

 SUB-REGIONS. 



NEARGTIC I PAL.EARCTIC I ETHIOPIAN | ORIENTAL I AUSTRALIAN 

 SUB-REGIONS. SUB-KEGIONS. SUB-REGIONS. SUB-REGIONS. SUB-BEOIONS. 



This small family of snake-like Lizards has a very curious dis- 

 tribution, being found in South and West Africa, Madagascar, 

 Ceylon, and Ternate in the Moluccas. Acontias (4 sp.), is found 

 in the four first-named localities ; Nessia (2 sp.), is confined to 

 Ceylon ; Typhloscincus (1 sp.), to Ternate. 



FAMILY 49. GECKOTIDJE. (50 Genera, 200 Species.) 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION. 



The Geckoes, or Wall-Lizards, form an extensive family, of 

 almost universal distribution in the warmer parts of the globe ; 

 and they must have some exceptional means of dispersal, since 

 they are found in many of the most remote islands of the great 

 oceans, as the Galapagos, the Sandwich Islands, Tahiti, New 

 Zealand, the Loo-Choo and the Seychelle Islands, the Nicobar 

 Islands, Mauritius, Ascension, Madeira, and many others. The 

 following are the larger and more important genera : 



Oedura (3 sp.), Australia ; Diplodactylus (8 sp)., Australia, 

 South Africa, and California; Phyllodactylus (8 sp.), widely 

 scattered in Tropical America, California, Madagascar, and 

 Queensland ; Hemidactylus (40 sp.), all tropical and warm 

 countries; Peropus (12 sp.), the Oriental region, Papuan Islands, 

 Mauritius, and Brazil ; Pentadactylus (7 sp.), Oriental region and 

 Australia; Gecko (12 sp.), Oriental region to New Guinea and 



