434 



SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON REPTILES. 



apophysis is attached to the sternum, as in all the 

 others. 



Gaviala. 



Gaviala Gangetica, the Gangetic Crocodile. PI. 25, f. 

 6. Grows from twelve to eighteen feet in length. In- 

 habits the rivers of India, and is very numerous in the 

 Ganges. 



Crocodihis. 



Crocodilus vulgaris, the Common Crocodile. PL 25, f. 

 5. This animal grows to the great size of from twenty 

 to thirty feet in length. 



Alligator. 



Alligator sclerops, the Common Alligator. PL 25, f. 7. 

 Grows from eighteen to twenty feet in length. Inhabits 

 Guiana and Brazil. Crocodile's Egg, f. 12. 



FAMILY il. LACEKTINIDJS. 



The members of this family are characterised by a 

 slender extensible tongue, terminating in two long fila- 

 mentary processes like the viper. Their bodies are 

 elongated, and their motions rapid. All their feet are 

 provided with five toes, armed with nails, which are 

 separate and unequal, particularly those on the hind 

 feet. Under the abdomen and around the tail, their 

 scales are disposed in traverse and parallel bands. Their 

 tympanum is on a level with the head ; the eyes are 

 protected by a produced skin, which is longitudinally 

 cleft, and which shuts by a sphincter. Under the an- 

 terior angle there is a rudimentary third eyelid. Their 

 false ribs do not form a complete circle. 



Monitor. 



This genus is divided into sections. L With a com- 

 pressed and carinated tail. 2. Tail nearly round, with 

 a dentated ridge above. 3. Tail nearly round without 

 a carinated ridge above. Of the last section is the land 

 Monitor, which inhabits Egypt, and is trained by the 

 jugglers of Cairo, to perform tricks, they having previous- 

 ly extracted their teeth. 



Dracaena. 



Draccena Guianensis. PL 25, f. 10. Body reddish 

 brown, blended with green. From four to six feet long. 

 Inhabits Guiana. Its flesh is eaten by the natives. 

 There are two sections of this genus, viz. 1. With a 

 carinated tail. 2. With the tail smooth and compressed 

 towards the point. 



Teius. There are two sections of this genus. 1 . Tail 

 carinated. 2. Tail smooth ; compressed towards the 

 point. 



Teius Teguucin, the Teguixin Lizard. PL 25, f. 15. 

 Body black, spotted with blue above, and of a bluish 

 hue below. Nearly six feet long. Inhabits Brazil. 



Amevia lemniscata, the Striped Amevia. PL 25, f. 1 1 . 

 Inhabits Africa. 

 Lacerta. 

 Tachydromus. 



FAMILY III. IGUANIDJE. 



_ Lizard shaped ; with a thick, fleshy, and not exten- 

 sible tongue, which is notched at the point. 



Cordylus, Head simple. 



Stellio. Head inflated behind. 



Amblyrhynchus. Head short and truncated. 



Agama. With a tumid head. 



Agama muricata, the Muricated Agama. PL 25, f. 8. 



Trapelus. Head tumid ; scales small and destitute of 

 spines. The only species of this genus is the Egyptian 

 Trapelus, which has the property of changing the col- 

 our of its skin, in a still more remarkable degree than 

 the cameleon. 



Calotes. Upwards of a footlong. Inhabits New South 

 Wales. 



Basilicas mitratus, the Mitred Basilisk. PL 25, f. 9. 

 Inhabits Brazil. The flesh is eatable. There are only 

 two species of this genus known, that above described, 

 and the Aboyna Basilisk; they are disagreeable look- 

 ing animals, but are entirely destitute of the deadly 

 properties attributed by the ancients to the fabulous 

 annual of that name. 



Draco. 



JJmco limatus, the Flying Dragon. PL 25, f. 16. Never 



exceeding nine or ten inches in length. Inhabits Asia 

 and Africa. 



Iguana. 



Iguana vulgaris, the Common Guana. PL 25, f. 1 3. 



Polycknu. Like the chameleon, the animals of this 

 genus have the power of changing colour. 



Anolius. There are two sections of this genus. 1. 

 With the tail crested. 2. With the tail rounded. 



FAMILY IV. GECKOTID.E. 



Gecko. Head considerably depressed ; eyes large ; 

 tongue fleshy, but not extensible ; jaws provided with 

 a series of small close-set teeth, body flattened, covered 

 above with small shagreen-like scales, and frequently 

 tubereulate ; below the scales are smaller, flat, and 

 imbricated ; tail with circular folds ; toes widened their 

 whole length, or at the extremity only, with the skin 

 plated or scaly. The animals of this genus have the 

 power of ascending perpendicular walls, and they can 

 even walk on ceilings. Cuvier divides the genus into 

 the following subgenera : 



I. Platydactyll. 



II. Heinidadyli. 



III. Thecadactyli. 



IV. Ptyodactyli. 



Ptyodactyli caudiverbcra, the Scalloped- tailed Gecko. 

 PL 25, f. 14. Inhabits Arabia. 



V. Phyluri. Animals similar in form to the Gecko. 



FAMILY V. CHAM^LEONID^:. 



CJtamaeleon. Tongue fleshy, cylindrical, and extremely 

 extensible ; teeth trilobed ; eyes large, but nearly cov- 

 ered by a skin, and with separate movements ; destitute 

 of an external ear ; occiput pyramidal ; body com- 

 pressed, back edged or carinated, the whole covered 

 with small shagreen-like granules ; all the feet furnished 

 with five toes, which are divided into two sets : the 

 one with three toes, and the other with two, each 

 united to the nails by a membrane ; tail round and 

 prehensile. 



Cliamoeleon vulgaris, the Common Chameleon. PL 25, 

 f. 17. Twenty-two inches long, including the tail. In- 

 habits India and Africa. 



FAMILY VI. SCINCID.E. 



Tongue not extensible ; body covered with equal- 

 sized inbricated scales ; legs short. 



Sdncus. 



Scincus occuluus, the Galley wasp. PL 25, f. 26. From 

 twelve to eighteen inches in length. Inhabits Jamaica. 



Seps. 



Seps palustris, the Great Water Newt, PL 25, f. 1.'5. 

 Inhabits stagnant waters in Europe. 



Bipes. 



Bipes apus, the Apoidal Apus. PL 25, f. 27. Inhabits 

 the shores of the Volga. 



Cholcides. 



Chirotes. 



ORDER III. OPIIIDIA. 



Body greatly cylindrical, elongated, generally covered 

 with scales, and destitute of feet. 



FAMILY I. ANGUINES. 



With small teeth nearly of equal size ; tongue uni- 

 formly notched ; ribs more or less united, being a sub- 

 stitute for a sternum : eyes provided with three eyelids. 



Ophisaurus. 



Anguis. 



Acontias. 



FAMILY II. SERPENTES. 



The species of this family are very numerous, and are 

 all destitute of a sternum and scapular bones, and want 

 the third eyelid, and also the tympanum. Cuvier sub- 

 divides them. The first subdivision includes those 

 which have the lower jaw supported by a tympanal 

 bone articulated to the cranium : the two branches 

 of this jaw fixed before, and those of the upper jaw to 

 the cranium, and to an intennaxilliary bone ; which 



