370 



Zf)()L()OY 



SECT. 



lar the greater number being natives of tropical and temperate 

 zones. The Sea-turtles, including the Hawk's-bills and the Luths, 

 are for the most part, but not entirel}^ confined to the tropical 

 seas. Giant Land-tortoises occur, or occurred in historic times, on 

 islands of the GaLapagos and Mascarene groups. 



Of the Crocodilia the Caimans are confined to Central and 

 South America. The Alligators are represented in North America 

 by one species and in China by another. The true Crocodiles occur 



FiLi lOlii.-. Skull of Beiodon. A, lioui ubuvo ; 13, fruui IjlIu.v. ,,(, orbit; iJo, basiocuipital ; Ch, 

 internal iiares ; 1>, pre-orbitiil fossa ; £xo. exoccipital ; 1-r. frontal ; Ju. jngal ; Lu. lacrynial ; 

 M.r. uiaxilla ; n. external naros ; Na. nasal; Pa. parietal; PI. palatine; fHi.t. prcrnaxilla ; 

 Por. post-orbital ; Prf. prefrontal ; Pt. pterygoid ; Qu. quadrate ; 6', lateral temj^oral fossa ; 

 S', snpcrifir teniiior;d fossa ; Sq. squamosal ; Vo. vomer. (From Zittcl.) 



widely distributed over Africa, Southern Asia, the northern parts 

 of Australia and tropical America, Avhile the Gavial occurs only in 

 certain Indian and Burmese rivers. 



Geological Distribution. — The Sfpuimata are geologically the 

 most recent of the existing orders of Reptiles. The earliest fossil 

 remains of Lizards have been found in beds belonging to the 

 Jurassic and Cretaceous periods ; but most of the families are not 

 represented earlier than the Tertiary. All the known fossil-re- 

 mains of Snakes, except one imperfectly known form from the 



