CHAPTER III 



LIZARDS 



THE Lizard Tribe or Sub-order is notable as containing 

 a greater number of specific forms than any other 

 of the Reptilian groups, no less than 1 ,700 distinct 

 species being described in the most recently published 

 catalogues. While formerly regarded as constituting a 

 separate and independent order of the Reptile Class, later 

 investigations have demonstrated that lizards are so inti- 

 mately related through sundry intermediate types with the 

 Snakes that they cannot be recognised as constituting other 

 than a sub-section of the same order. The two groups of 

 the Lizards and Snakes are consequently, and with refer- 

 ence more particularly to their commonly 

 shared scaly armatures, technically distin- 

 guished by the appellation of Scaled Reptiles. 

 While the more typical members of the 

 Lizard Tribe are readily distinguished from 

 the Snakes by the possession of well- 

 developed limbs, a no inconsiderable number 

 of species are altogether devoid of these 

 appendages, or possess them only in a 

 partially developed or rudimentary condition. 

 The British BLIND-WORM, or SLOW-WORM, 

 constitutes an example of such a legless 

 lizard, although on account of its outward 

 snake-like appearance it is commonly 

 regarded as a snake by the un- 

 educated. In the South Euro- 

 pean so-called GLASS-SNAKE, or 

 SCHELTOPUSIK, here figured, the 

 snake-like aspect and creeping 

 habits are still more conspicuous, 

 but yet when examined more crit- 

 ically its lizard affinities become 

 apparent. One of the most readily 

 apprehended external characters 

 that serve to distinguish this 

 and the majority of the legless 

 lizards from snakes is the posses- 

 sion by the former of movable 

 eyelids and conspicuous external 

 ear-openings. Among snakes 

 eyelids are invariably absent, the 



Fhott by E. C. jttkinten 



BLIND-WORM 



Notwithstanding its name, the blind-worm pos- 

 sesses small, very bright little eyes 



Phett by W. StrvHli-Kent, F.Z.S. [Milftrd-m-Sta 



GLASS-SNAKE, OR SCHELTOPUSIK 



The presence of movable eyelids distinguishes this legless lizard from 

 the true snakes 



Photo b) W. Savillt-Ktnt, F.Z.S.-] 



GLASS-SNAKE 



HHH1 



[Mil/ord-, 



Snails constitute the favourite food of the glass-snaks 



563 



